Led by Pastor Gregory Johnson, Co-founder of AUHS
While precious are the finest jewels, more precious is our time
For we are on a mission and the cause we have divine
Time is God’s gift to us so it must be cherished and used wisely.
“I believe that time is the most precious thing we have. It represents our life, our future, what we’ve done, and what we can still do. If we do not have time, then we have nothing,” said Dr. Caroll Ryan, the President of AUHS, “Oftentimes we find ourselves wasting time or being unproductive. We need to use our time deliberately.”
There must be balance and moderation in life. We must know when to use our time for relaxation, work, family, and prayer. We must be deliberate on how we spend our time because once we run out of time, we cannot get it back.
“Time is more precious than money or material things,” said Dr. Mok Chong, the Dean of General Education, “We can still make money and buy more things but you can never get time back. We need to be diligent and use our time wisely.”
Dr. Chong explained how he had recently received an email from a former AUHS nursing student, thanking him for being there for her. Dr. Chong had written a letter of recommendation for the AUHS graduate and she now worked at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.
“It was so nice to get that email,” Dr. Chong said, “Time is the most important thing that we have because we can use it to make a difference in the lives of as many people as possible.”
Pastor Gregory Johnson shared with the room that his eldest son, Gregory, was going to be 20-years-old.
“When Gregory was a child, we used to take care of him in our office. He would just roll around in a walker because we couldn’t afford a babysitter. Students would just come in and play with him,” Pastor Johnson said.
Pastor Johnson emphasized the importance of spending time with family.
“The time that we spend time with our children is really God’s time. Our time with our children should remind them of their own destiny,” Pastor Johnson said, “While we play with our children, we can tell them, ‘You are wonderfully made,’ ‘I love you,’ and ‘You are precious.’”
Pastor Johnson shared how he saw a Jewish family at a Coffee Bean that day. He glanced at them, went to the manager, handed him money and said, “Whatever they’re buying, use this.” Pastor Johnson tried to leave before the family noticed his deed but one of the family members walked up to him and said, “You didn’t have to do that.” Pastor Johnson replied, “God wanted me to do it because you have a beautiful family.”
“Everything that we do is connected to our mission in this world. There is absolutely no disconnect,” Pastor Johnson said, “Our business is about telling as many people possible that time and God are real. Our business is to influence as many people as possible and tell them that the life that they are leading is precious in the eyes of God.”
If AUHS faculty and staff do their job with fervor, with diligence, and with intent, they have the power to influence many people on many different levels and be blessed in the process, according to Pastor Johnson.
“Our time with God is precious because if we don’t have time with God, we don’t have any strength. You can be the greatest business person in the world but if you don’t love your family, you don’t have anything,” Pastor Johnson said.
Never take your true friends for granted.
“Our time with our friends is precious because real friends are hard to come by. In our world today, we use the word ‘friends’ all the time because of Facebook and other social media. But true friends are rare. Love them,” Pastor Johnson said.
Pastor Johnson urged AUHS faculty and staff to not only love their family and friends but to love their co-workers as well.
“We, (AUHS faculty and staff), spend more time together in our waking hours than we do with anyone else in the world,” Pastor Johnson said, “We need to love and pray for each other.”
Hai Luong, an Admissions Coordinator, referred to Psalm 90:12- “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
“Time is a gift that God gives to all of us and how we spend that time is our gift back to God,” Luong said.
Not Waste
Let me not waste a second, to fulfill what needs be done
Let all my work be diligent, as proffered to “The Son”
What makes AUHS unique from every other university is that God is in the center of everything it does. AUHS has a cause and a divine mission.
“If we know that we have a divine mission, it changes the whole context, color, and flavor of what it is that we are doing in this university,” said Dr. Ryan, “If we put it in the context of a divine mission, whether it’s creating learning outcomes or balancing a spreadsheet, all of these pieces go into changing people’s lives and training people to go out into the world to do really great things. If we put all of that into perspective, I think we will be able to value our time more and make us appreciate the things each of us has contributed to the university. There is no task that is unworthy.”
Pastor Johnson urged the members of the room to always persevere and strive for excellence.
“Our faith should imply that we are excellent, our faith should imply that we are on our game, our faith should imply that when people look at everything that we do, every detail speaks of honoring God,” Pastor Johnson said, “You can’t say you love God and be halfway in what you do.”
Pastor Johnson referred to the Book of Genesis where two brothers, Cain and Abel, gave burnt offerings to God. God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s.
“God loved Abel’s offering but there something was amiss with Cain’s offering. Maybe Cain took too long to put it together, but there was something about his offering that did not please God,” Pastor Johnson said, “Anything that we do should please and honor God.”
About American University of Health Sciences
AUHS is a Christian based, minority-serving university, which educates students for careers in the healthcare professions. AUHS emphasizes the values of faith in God, love of humankind, and belief that all people have a right to healthcare and deserve a good quality of life based on wellness of body, mind and spirit. The university celebrates diversity, and reaches out to groups currently underrepresented in healthcare and research. AUHS provides the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, hands-on practical training and supportive environment required to create competent and compassionate healthcare professionals.
American University of Health Sciences is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510.748.9001.
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