AT THE CENTER OF TEENPACT IS JESUS
The word TeenPact is heavy with meaning and drips with significance in my heart and mind. I am humbled to be a part of it, and I am amazed at all that has transpired because of God’s sovereign purpose for TeenPact. My experience is like so many others, because it is considered necessary to learn how the political process works. However, we stick around because of the friends, the fun, the trips, the classes and the opportunities. But through the experience, we are changed and we change others, because at the center of TeenPact is Jesus. I learned that the world is bigger than I ever imagined, but Jesus could use me as a change agent. He wants me to be a part of the awesome work He is doing, whether in my state capitol or in the life of a friend.
TO ME, TEENPACT IS…
- Trying to persuade my mother not to send me;
- Trying to figure out if the neon yellow suit my buddy is wearing will comply with the professional dress code;
- Sitting in my first parli-pro session and realizing that knowledge gives me power to influence others;
- Meeting legislators and discovering that they are just normal people who are usually surprised and impressed to hear from a young person;
- Riding on the back of my 6’ 7’’ buddy down the streets of Washington DC;
- Volunteering on a campaign and then, serving as a legislative assistant at 16 years old;
- Learning how to ask meaningful questions and practicing my public speaking skills that I still rely upon today in my profession;
- Standing at National Convention (long before we had a high tech, multi-media event for election results) and watching the ballots as they were hand counted when I ran for TeenPact President;
- Realizing that leadership is a gift from God and best practiced with great humility;
- Sitting with my great friend, Jason Luther, the man who conceived the idea of passing Bibles down to incoming TeenPact President and Vice President, and penning the first notes before we passed them to the next year’s Executive Officers;
- Stepping on a college campus and feeling prepared to defend my faith and confidently share with others the hope I have within me;
- God’s sovereign use of the TeenPact network to connect me to John Crawford, who continues to be a spiritual, personal and professional mentor;
- Watching the live-stream of National Convention in 2017 and marveling at God’s design and blessing on this ministry;
- Looking forward to my son attending his first one-day class in 2019 at the same State Capitol where I met Tim Echols in 1996.
