Faith Meets Academia
Welcome to Faith Meets Academia!
Struggling to connect your faith with everyday life, career ambitions, or academic pursuits? Hosted by a university professor and ordained minister, Dr. Adrian Reynolds, this podcast will help you translate your faith-based values into personal growth, professional development, and academic success. Faith Meets Academia emphasizes that faith and work can forge a mutually sustaining partnership.
Each episode breaks down complex academic concepts into everyday language and connects them with timeless spiritual principles for transformational learning and development. By the end of each episode, you will be equipped with practical tools to set the tone for a purposeful, productive week.
Join the journey today!
Your host, Adrian Reynolds (Ph.D.), is an ordained minister, learning coach, and assistant professor of medical education at an R1 university. He is on a mission to merge educational innovation with biblical wisdom. Dr. Reynolds brings over two decades of teaching experience across the educational continuum: from working with underserved, high school students as a state-certified instructor of Spanish to coaching students in graduate and professional degree programs in evidence-based teaching skills and the science of learning.
Dr. Reynolds’ work is located within the rapidly growing field of applied learning sciences and is driven by both socio-cognitive and sociocultural approaches to learning and teaching. His preventive model of academic coaching has been published in journals such as Medical Teacher and Clinical Teacher. He has held over 1,000 (one-on-one) academic coaching sessions with medical students, residents, fellows, and pre-med students. Dr. Reynolds has developed numerous peer-teaching programs for medical students in addition to courses in the science of learning for residents, pre-med and high school students.
Dr. Reynolds has been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ for over 10 years both nationally and internationally. He has long been recognized to seamlessly intertwine academic concepts with biblical principles: His approach to preaching and teaching the word of God is centered around growth mindset (Philippians 4:13), transformational learning (Romans 12:2), and reflective, mindful practice (Philippians 4:8, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:97).
As a missionary ambassador, Dr. Reynolds has embarked on transformative journeys that bridge cultures and continents, bringing tangible support and hope to those in need. Most recently, in the fall of 2023, his dedication to humanitarian causes led him to Mozambique: From the bustling streets of Maputo to the serene countryside of Inharrime, through the unwavering support and sponsorship from faith-based leaders and communities, Dr. Reynolds has played a pivotal role in the allocation of humanitarian aid and educational resources, providing essential support to elevate community wellbeing.
Earlier that year, he engaged in a mission focused on cultural exchange and relationship-building in the Maputo province to better understand and address local challenges. Through these missions, Dr. Reynolds exemplifies the true essence of a missionary ambassador, integrating service, education, and faith into impactful action.
Faith Meets Academia
Episode 38: The Valley Experience
What if life's toughest moments are actually stepping stones to triumph? The valley experience is where your challenges become your foundation for personal and spiritual growth. Drawing from biblical references like Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones and insights from 1 Peter 4:12-13, Dr. A uncovers how these difficult periods serve as divine training grounds. Just like astronauts who rigorously prepare on earth for their missions, our valley experiences equip us with resilience and strength for future victories. Your valley is not your permanent home: With determination and faith, triumph is not just possible, but inevitable. Tune in for an empowering conversation about turning trials into stepping stones for success; and remember, you are not alone on this journey.
WEBSITE: https://faithmeetsacademia.buzzsprout.com/2312145/episodes
CONTACT: faithmeetsacademia@gmail.com
SUBMIT YOUR PRAYER REQUEST HERE
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely my own and do not reflect or represent the positions, policies, or opinions of my employer, any organization or academic institution with which I am affiliated. This podcast is a personal initiative, and is not connected to my official/ formal duties and responsibilities as a university professor.
Hey, fam, thanks for joining once again. This is episode 38, and this one's titled the Valley Experience. The Valley Experience have you ever had one? Well, maybe. I think we all have right. Okay, so let's dive right in.
Speaker 1:First off, though, I hope this week will be prosperous. I hope it'll be blessed. I hope it'll be productive. Spend lots of time with the ones you love, cherish every moment. Life is short.
Speaker 1:Have you ever felt as though you were stuck in a place where everything just seems dry, I mean lifeless, uncertain? Maybe you're experiencing what I would call the valley experience, a season that's just filled with challenges, hardships, disappointments, you know, waiting, anticipating, but also one of preparation. So, for this episode, we're going to discuss what it really means to walk through the valley. I'm sure you've heard that analogy. Before walking through the valley, david talks about walking through the valley of the shadow of death, right? So we're going to be talking about what it really means to walk through the valley. So we're going to be talking about what it really means to walk through the valley, why it's an important, essential part of our spiritual journey faith and building our resilience. Let's go to the word. Ezekiel 37, the very first verse, right, ezekiel says, the hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. Pause, hold up. Let's pause right here for a minute. I want you to understand this wasn't some random experience, right In this vision that Ezekiel had right. He didn't just accidentally wander off into the valley, stumble into the valley. God placed him there intentionally. In this vision, god placed him there intentionally. This valley of dry bones wasn't just a physical location. In this vision, the valley of dry bones wasn't just a physical place. It was also a place of testing, of revelation and transformation.
Speaker 1:You think about how astronauts prepare for their missions, right? They spend thousands of hours in rigorous training before they launch into space and beyond. Their preparation for the mission includes hundreds of hours. I've read that it includes over 300 hours in simulators learning how to operate the spacecraft and they practice how to tackle emergencies like fires or system failures. Preparing for their specific mission tasks, they train underwater in a giant pool called the neutral buoyancy lab. They practice space walks and, you know, learn how to work effectively in weightlessness. They do survival training in case the spacecraft lands, in unexpected places like a desert or an ocean. Astronauts work on building physical strength, they work on building their mental resilience, they build teamwork skills, spending long periods in isolation, preparing for confined living conditions in space. This kind of intense preparation, it ensures they're ready for anything they might face. And guess what? All that preparation, all that training, it doesn't happen in space.
Speaker 1:Now, when you get to space, it's showtime right. It happens right down here on Earth, down in the valley, if you will. Similarly, our valley experiences are God's training grounds, if you could picture it that way. In order to develop the strength, the resilience you need to climb all the way to the top of the mountain, the pinnacle of your success, your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations. We need to be prepared. But you see, we have to first endure the valley experience so we can be mentally conditioned for these challenges that lie ahead, the setbacks, the false starts, the disappointments that we know will come, because that's just part of life. And so to get prepared for our destiny. God sometimes places us in harsh situations and circumstances. Can I get a witness on that? Because he knows the weapons you'll need to fight the battles that lie ahead. 1 Peter, 4: 12 and 13 reminds us beloved.
Speaker 1:Do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. Have you ever been in a situation where you've been tested and somebody just push your buttons and you're like man, they tried me. Do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you? I mean this week. You might've already been tried in school. You might've been tried on your job. Sometimes you're even tried in your place of worship, like right there, yeah, like right there, like even like during the service. It happens. The enemy is everywhere and shows up anywhere, seeking whose soul he may devour. So don't think it's strange concerning the fire trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.
Speaker 1:But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. You see, that's when you say the hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory. You've got to make it through the battle first to experience the reward of the victory. You can't run away when the battle gets hot. No, we're going to stand still and see the salvation of God. Sometimes you have to face the grind before you can shine, but it all starts with the valley experience. You see, here's the reality of the valley. The valley can feel like a dark, lonely place of hopelessness, a place of uncertainty, a place where sometimes you wonder Lord, are you hearing me? Are you seeing my plight? Are you understanding this circumstance? You know, perhaps you've looked around and you thought why am I the only one struggling? Why am I the only one having this value experience? Why does everyone else seem like they're thriving while I'm stuck in the valley? But you see, the truth is you're not alone.
Speaker 1:This is not to minimize your value experience, but the reality is others have walked a similar path before. Others have had similar value experiences to the ones you've had or the one you might be experiencing right now. We all experience our value journey in different ways. No two value experiences are alike. I want to make that clear. No two value experiences, no two trials, no two tribulations, whether it's, you know, losing a loved one, whether it's losing a job, whether it's, you know, financial challenges. No two experiences, no matter how similar they are, are alike. We all experience our value journeys in ways that are unique to us. Nonetheless, it's crucial to note that your value experience is not so different from mine, that we can't identify with each other, that we can't empathize with each other, that we can't offer each other guidance, that we can't offer each other mentorship, that we can't offer each other a shoulder to cry on.
Speaker 1:Got it All right. So you're not alone in this, you've got company in your valley All right. So you're not alone in this, you've got company in your valley. Ezekiel 37: 11 says. Then he said to me son of man, these bones, check this out, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say our bones are dry, our hope is lost and we ourselves are cut off. These bones are the whole house of Israel. Yep, I say, you got a whole army of believers right there in the valley with you.
Speaker 1:You know, every now and then I coach a student who you know, feels as though they're the only ones struggling in a course or the only ones who have failed a course or a licensing exam. And you know they look around them and you know everybody else seems, you know, to be excelling and thriving and just sailing smoothly along. And, by the way, I'm talking about medical students in my day job as a medical educator, and I have to let them know that. You know that's not the case. It's not that you're the only one struggling and everybody else is sailing smoothly along. They're shocked to discover how common it is to face the challenges they're facing and that many of their peers are going through similar struggles. But I mean they would never know about it, because that's not what friends talk about with each other. Right? And this leads me to another point.
Speaker 1:Too often we avoid being vulnerable or transparent about our trials in life, and what could happen is this could lead others to believe they're the only ones who are struggling. Whether it's challenges on the job, in school, a personal setback, you name it. Health challenges the Valley experience comes to us all. Health challenges the valley experience comes to us all. But until we make it out, you have to be reminded that there is peace in the valley. Psalm 29: 11, says the Lord will give strength to his people. The Lord will bless his people with peace. Yes, until you make it out of this valley, know that there is comfort in the valley. 2 Corinthians, 1, 3 and 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. That we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Yes, there is hope in the valley.
Speaker 1:Jeremiah 29: 10 through 13,. For thus says the Lord after 70 years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good work toward you and cause you to return to this place, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. The King James Version says an expected end. Verse 12 says Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me and I will listen to you and you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. So, even in exile, this is what this was talking about the 70 years in Babylon, the Babylonian exile that Israel found themselves in. Even in exile, god called the Israelites to thrive Jeremiah 29: 4 through 7. What does that say?
Speaker 1:I'd say thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon Build houses and dwell in them. This is while they were in Babylonian captivity. This is not when they came out. This is while they were in Babylonian captivity. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters. And take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands so that they may bear sons and daughters, that you may be increased there and not diminished, and see the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive. Amen and pray to the Lord for it, for in its peace you will have peace Right there in Babylon.
Speaker 1:So what makes you think you can't make it through your valley? Yes, there is. There is hope there. There is comfort there. There is hope there. There is comfort there. There is peace there. But guess what? You weren't meant to stay stuck in the valley. Don't make the valley your home. Israel didn't stay in Babylon. After 70 years they were released, they were redeemed. Making it out of the valley? Let's talk about that. Making it out of the valley. How do we get out of it? It requires obedience. It requires faith. Making it out of the valley requires faith, obedience and commitment.
Speaker 1:Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy to the dry bones, even when they appeared lifeless. Can you prophesy when all you can see is dry bones. Can you prophesy when all you can see is dry bones, dried up bank account dried up marriage, dried up relationships? Can you still prophesy when it seems like everything is going wrong? Can you still prophesy when it seems like the bottom has fallen out and you just don't know where to turn? Well, I say yes, you can. Joel 2:28,. It declares and it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Let's take a closer look at Ezekiel 37: 3-10. Here's what it says. So I answered. Here's what it says.
Speaker 2:Thus says the Lord, god, to these bones Surely I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live. I will put snus on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I prophesied, there was a noise.
Speaker 1:Come on, say it like there was a noise.
Speaker 2:There was a noise and suddenly a rattling.
Speaker 1:The bones came together, bone to bone. All right, verse 8, keep reading.
Speaker 2:The bones came together, bone to bone, uh-huh, all right. Verse 8. Keep reading, Indeed as I looked the sinews and the flesh came upon them, uh-huh. And the skin covered them over, but there was no breath in them.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, verse 9. Keep on.
Speaker 2:So he said to me prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, said a man, and say to the breath thus says the Lord, god, come from the four winds O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.
Speaker 1:So I prophesied, that was my daughter. Prophesy, that was my daughter, as he commanded me. And breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet. An exceedingly great army. I told you, you're not alone in the valley, you've got company in exceeding great army Because, remember, the Lord said to Ezekiel these bones are the whole house of Israel. The Bible says life and death are in the power of the tongue. So don't be afraid to prophesy, but it's going to take some work, it's going to take some effort, it's going to take some commitment.
Speaker 1:If you're a student in college or grad school, you might find you might be in your final year or final semester and you know, just about ready to cross that finish line. Sometimes that's when you find yourself in the midst of the valley, right when you're on the cusp of your victory. Oh, I've been there. I remember in the final year of my PhD coursework I discovered that one of my professors check this out, you won't believe One of my professors shared a chapter from my dissertation without my permission. The dissertation wasn't yet complete, it wasn't yet published, I was still in the process of writing and one of the chapters that I had already written. The professor shared it with a classmate Yep, it was chapter two, my literature review. The professor was particularly impressed with my grasp and presentation of the theoretical framework in that chapter and I guess just couldn't help sharing the entire chapter with the classmate. Who was, it turns out, according to the professor, struggling to understand, you know, that framework? This framework, by the way, is known as cultural historical activity theory. Good stuff, I'm like okay, I mean, why couldn't you have referred the student to me? I mean, I would have a have referred the student to me. I mean I would have a conversation with them, I would try to help them to wrap their minds around this framework. You know, this verse comes to mind, detour just for a minute 1 Corinthians 10, 13. No temptation has overtaken you, except such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation, will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it" this verse really emphasizes God's faithfulness to provide a way out of trials and temptations.
Speaker 1:How did I climb out of this valley? Yeah, that thing that went down with the professor. You know, sharing my work without my permission. Well, the professor essentially told me, for your own peace of mind. You know, just move on, let's just move on. Yeah, he very calmly told me that, and I had to make a choice. You know, move on and graduate in peace and on time, or you know, do I escalate this? Do I report this? Well, guess what? I chose to move on. You know, as they say, sometimes you have to pick your battles right. I recognized this as an attack of the enemy and decided I wasn't going to allow this to delay my graduation. My date was already set, y'all Sunday, June 10th 2012. My five-year wedding anniversary, and nothing was going to stop that Glory. Hallelujah, it came to pass. I graduated on that day and date. An unforgettable experience.
Speaker 1:So, friends, let me say this to you your valley is not your home. The dry bones in Ezekiel's vision didn't stay dry. They came to life. As you walk through your valley, remember this God is preparing you for the mountaintop. Keep your faith, speak life into your circumstances. Trust him to carry you through All right. Let's close with this Ezekiel 37, 14. I will put my spirit in you and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord. Have spoken it and perform it. Says the Lord spoken it and perform it. Says the Lord, friends, god can turn your valley into victory. Believe it, prophesy it and work for it. If this episode has been a blessing to you, feel free to share it with friends, loved ones, family, so we can spread this word to those who really need to hear it. You can find Faith Meets Academia anywhere you listen to your podcasts, whether it's Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify or any other major podcast platform. Until we meet again, peace be unto you.