Texas Leadership Summit Podcast
Empowering leaders with the courage, tools, and hope to ignite a revival of Christian leadership. In each episode of the Texas Leadership Summit Podcast, leaders bring you empowering insights and easy-to-understand takeaways you can use to lead yourself and others. You’ll learn practical ways to grow as a leader, get involved in your community, lead your family, and grow your faith.
Texas Leadership Summit Podcast
The Profound Impact of Faith-Based Leadership in Governance with Senator Lois Kolkhorst
When Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst graces our show, she brings wisdom on biblical leadership's profound influence in governance and beyond. Our enlightening conversation features guidance in decision-making, with Senator Kolkhorst sharing how foundational Judeo-Christian values have shaped American principles and how these values continue to serve as a beacon for individuals in public service. Facing the headwinds of secular society, we discuss the art of balancing God, family, and career, ensuring that personal faith remains the driving force for community prosperity and individual purpose.
Venturing further into the realm of leadership, Senator Kolkhorst and I address the common fears that accompany public roles, especially within the volatile political landscape. We reveal the unexpected bipartisan camaraderie from a shared commitment to spiritual practices. The encouragement that faith offers amid political storms underscores our talk, providing a sense of peace that only comes from recognizing our faith behind every leadership challenge.
Finally, our episode celebrates the pivotal role of faith-based leadership in fostering civic engagement. As we highlight the dynamic process of legislative development and the joy of community service, we encourage every listener to grasp the transformative power of stepping out in faith. Whether you're inspired to run for office or support from the sidelines, our shared discourse with Senator Kolkhorst is a heartfelt call to action: to harness the courage granted by our convictions and to become everyday leaders who can uplift and empower those around us through steadfast service and devotion.
Well, hello everyone. My name is Tim Webb and I am the founder of the Texas Leadership Summit, and I just want to remind our viewers that our mission is empowering the everyday leader with courage, tools and hope to ignite a revival of Christian leadership. And so, with that, our vision is the equipping of the everyday leader and our desires that you are able to stand in your faith and the pillars of government, education, business and church, and we believe that if you stand in your faith, if we can just get 10% of our local leadership to do this, we believe that 80% of the community will follow behind that 10% and those that are 10% that normally are on the sidelines, the naysayers. We would love for them to come along, but we know that typically that doesn't happen. But we are about transforming our community and so we know that happens at the local level. We believe that God has equipped us with a faith that gives us the freedom to do that. All of this enables us to have right thinking. When we go to God's word and we stand on the principles and our faith found in the Bible, we know that it can give us right thinking that will enable us to give the right response and, as we always talk about at Texas Leadership Summit, we know that failed leadership costs lives, and we know it's all about leadership, and down through the ages, we have seen God's people step forward with their faith, offering solutions that are able to transform whole communities, and so our desire is to get back to that and just encourage our leaders.
Speaker 1:So today I am blessed to have a special guest. It is our Texas Senator, lois Kohlhorst, and she is a sixth generation Texan and she hails from the great community of Brenham Brenham, texas, which is found in Washington County Again, the birthplace of Texas and she has been serving in the 18th District since 2014. And so Lois is here with us. And, lois, I want to thank you so much. You're a very busy person, a sister in the faith. I don't know how you did it, but I'm very thankful that you're able to carve out some time with us today, so thank you for being here.
Speaker 2:Well, Tim, no busier than anyone else in what you do in your pastoral duties and what's going on in this revival and I do believe it is a revival but I'm so happy to be here to talk about leadership based in faith in Christ.
Speaker 1:Well, and you and I have shared through the past years the importance of leadership, and one of the first things I want to ask you is why do you feel that biblical leadership is so important?
Speaker 2:That's a great question. When you're a leader, whether that's in your family, whether that's in your community, it could be in your school, it could be in government, wherever Christ plants you, plants you to think that just us as humans can make very large decisions to move groups or to, like you talked about. You know, if we could just get 10% to help lead, that 80% will follow. There's no way humanly possible that you can have all the answers. And so, to me, you have to seek the Lord. You have to seek that divine spiritual intervention that gives you the peace that passes all understanding, and to make those decisions founded in your faith and in the Bible.
Speaker 2:And one of the things that I think that's going on in a revival is that even people that claim to be Christians and they are Christians but return to the Bible and really read the lessons there. There's so many examples of leaders and failed leadership. You know, if you look at the Old Testament and the kings, that failed over and over and over again and they always went back to their sinful way. And that's one of the things I've enjoyed we shared before the podcast, you know is really going back to the Bible and reading the Bible on a daily basis, reading the Bible, starting in Genesis, all the way through, not just picking a scripture every day. And so biblical leadership. I love how you say that biblical leadership. Return to the Bible. There's great examples and if you look at our founding fathers, the United States of America, it is written over and over and over again that the Constitution and those Bill of Rights were founded with and written through faith. So that's the importance of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I thank you for going there to our founding fathers. What a lot of people don't realize is 97%, 97% of the people that we now know as the United States of America. Their first textbook was the Bible learning to read, and so when they founded this nation that we know as the United States I would even go back to, I think, where your passion is the founding of the nation of Texas, right.
Speaker 2:You know, this is what they you know they started.
Speaker 1:that's where they started and right just up the road from us Independence. You know Baylor University and you know so, and you're being an alumni of TCU some of those great Christian founders, those principles, and so we have been blessed to enjoy the fruit of that. So I want to encourage our listeners, our viewers. If they're not in the Word, if they're not in the Bible, that's what we, our foundation at TLS is. It's rooted in the Bible, that's what we, our foundation at TLS, is. It's rooted in the Word. So I want to ask you and to what extent you feel free to share, okay, how did your faith affect your decision to get involved in government? That impacts more than just you. So, if you would with our listeners, how did that impact you?
Speaker 2:You know that's a great question, tim and I go all the way back to when I was pretty young I had a young daughter, and to all the women out there, I mean, it's hard to be someone that's successful in a career and I will tell you. Before I get into that answer, I want to say to everyone you know we have this secular society that lauds certain things. If you keep in order this God family and then career, when the world there's a lot of noise out there and you're being tugged and pulled in certain ways and not giving your time here and doing more here, go back to that God family and then career. So that was one of the big decisions is when I felt moved. I really felt like there was something higher.
Speaker 2:I was working at the Chamber of Commerce, there was something higher that I needed to be doing and there was a gentleman that was the state representative and he had just been elected in the Republican, ran on the Republican ticket. He was the first Republican since Reconstruction in this district, since Reconstruction in this district, and I, through faith, went to Jimmy, who is the head of our household and he is such a great husband and partner in life, and he said I think you could do really good and the odds were against me. The polls were terrible. We ran a poll. I was 32 points behind. So when you talk about faith, it is hard. And I was an athlete when I played golf at TCU and no one hates to lose more than me and I told the Lord back then. I said God, I've got to tell you I don't know. I don't know that I'm going to win this race and I was scared of the embarrassment, you know what if I?
Speaker 2:lose. And something was put on my heart by Christ that said, put your name on the ballot and have faith, and in losing you may still be winning. Now I went on to win that race and in losing, you may still be winning. Now I went on to win that race and I will tell you that one of the leaps of faith, you know, I was state representative for 14 years, seven terms, and the senator in our Senate district had decided to run for comptroller.
Speaker 2:And it was very interesting because this Senate seat wasn't the first time it opened up when I was state rep. The first time it opened up was a few years earlier, about six or seven years earlier, and the sitting state senator called me and said hey, listen, I'm going to retire, I'm going to tell you first so you can announce this is your seat, and this is something I want to share is. I remember that and Lois, cade and Jake were pretty young and I fell to my knees and I asked God, do you want me to run for this Senate seat? And, tim, I heard nothing for days and I said, god, there's your answer. And so I didn't run for the Senate that first time that that Senate seat opened up and I know that that was spiritually God telling me it's not your time. So the second time the comptroller, who is Glenn Hager he was running for comptroller called me and said you need to run this time and I was like I'm very comfortable.
Speaker 1:You know that word right.
Speaker 2:And I was very comfortable and I was hoping that Glenn would lose his race so that he would still be the state senator and I wouldn't have to make a decision. Well, he won his race and one of the things that I have to say is I can tell you where I was in Grimes County, in Plannersville.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know where that is.
Speaker 2:Yes, in Southern Grimes County and I was meeting with a county commissioner and a few things happened. We were talking about roads and flooding and what was going on wrong with this state highway and how we were going to fix it. I got a phone call that was not related to the Senate seat at all and I was driving and listening to spiritual music and I drove straight to Jimmy's office in Navasota. I said, babe, I think I'm supposed to run for the Senate seat. He looks at me and said well, you told me a couple of days ago you weren't interested. And I said I know something spiritually has changed in my heart.
Speaker 2:It was a really interesting. I can tell you where I was when I said to God no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, not going to do this. And so about the time you think you're comfortable, god says now I'm going to push you out. And so I saw God's hand in that. Now I will tell you that I that was a tough race too, and when I look back at that race, there were a few moments in time when my faith grew and I was down in Port Lavaca, texas, and I was at a debate and I was standing up and I wasn't myself and the guy that was. There were four other people in that race, but one was spending millions of dollars to win and that megaphone was getting really loud and I was being accused of things. I was like that's not me at all.
Speaker 1:What are you talking?
Speaker 2:about and this lady waited for me in the parking lot and she told me this. She said I can remember exactly what she said to me. She said I was not going to come tonight and God told me I needed to come. And so I came and I sat and I listened and I know why I was supposed to come and I said, okay, why You're anxiously waiting to hear. And she said because God wanted me to tell you this. And she wrote down three or four things on a piece of paper, three things exactly, and handed it to me. I still have that piece of paper and it was wonderful.
Speaker 2:So here's what I have to say is that God is talking to us all the time. It's not always our answer, but he uses other people to talk to us. As you well know, the Holy Spirit works in wonderful and wondrous ways and I have seen that firsthand. So to all of you that are thinking out there how am I a leader? Do I run for office? Do I do this? Do I take that my pastor has asked me to be this leader in the church? I don't want to do that. It's too controversial. You could say I'm supposed to be ahead of this committee at my work. Whatever it is, be still and listen. God will lead you to where he wants you to be.
Speaker 1:Well, with that, with your faith you've kind of mentioned this, I think, or alluded to this we as believers, followers of Christ, we're rooted in the Word, in His love, and this faith is growing as we're growing in the Word and you're saying, man, this God is so good, but then, all of a sudden, these little things that have to do with fear and this is the part that I think is very hard for that everyday leader, a local community, because you and I know small town communities and people can be vicious and people you think are your friends and they say and do things. And so one of the things I would love for our listeners and viewers to see just how did what are some of those fears? I guess Can we identify some of the fears that you've experienced at the state level, maybe even greater, because it involves your family, your marriage, your kids, and I know, being in ministry for 35 years.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you something. Let's start with fear comes from Satan. Okay, and I've really worked on this because I have a lot of fears.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And it starts with a lot of times with social media. When I started in the Texas house, there really wasn't social media, that's right. What you did was you went and met with the publisher of the newspaper. All these small little newspapers.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, now we're going back oh we're going way back.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you how easy it was back then. It was so easy and you sent out your press releases and you hoped he wrote a good or she wrote a good op-ed about you and you stayed in communication. And then, as we watched and it wasn't that long ago, our children don't realize it, but it wasn't that long ago that social media came onto the scene and now everyone is a publisher of a newspaper, Right, Right, they have a very loud megaphone. It can go anywhere and everywhere.
Speaker 2:One thing that I have always wrestled with was I can't believe they said that. Did they say that? I mean, and anyone can say anything and it's under an alias, they're not using their real name, they're not claiming that and many times it's bots now and AI and different things like that and it can hurt your feelings. They can't say that about me. That's not who I am. That's really hard. And so anyone that's thinking about being a leader, and especially in small towns or large towns listen, as big as Houston is, it's a pretty small town in ways or you could say Fort Worth I saw some of your deacons loading up a trailer and they're going to go do some great ministry work in Fort Worth. To anyone that's thinking about being a leader, and again, that can be involving yourself at the fair association in your community. It can be on the school board. It can be in so many different ways. It could be in planning and zoning. It can be on your church council. It can be in different ways that you're called to lead.
Speaker 2:Fear can put you in quicksand and you have to overcome it and the way that you overcome it is through faith, right. There are so many times that I say to the Lord God, help me overcome this fear that I'm having, and he equips you with that. Evil's always going to attack you. And let me tell you something. I remember Rafael Cruz, who is Ted Cruz's dad, when I was carrying a pretty controversial bill back in 2017, he sat in my office one day. We'd done a rally out on the lawn South Lawn of the Texas Capitol and he said I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee at the Capitol Grill. And I said I'll do better. You come to my office and you can have a free cup of coffee. And we sat there and he told me. He said you are going to be attacked by Satan. I said what are you talking about? I said you know Reverend Cruz, not me. He goes, oh yes. He said you are going to be attacked and it's going to get vicious. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I do now. So I had a good friend tell me the other day I love this.
Speaker 2:If the devil isn't coming after you today, that means you didn't do anything. Yep, what a great way to say that. That's right. If the devil isn't coming after you today, that means you didn't do anything. What a great way to say that that's right. So you know, fear can come in lots of different ways. You can say, oh, I'm fearful to speak out, it may hurt my business, it may hurt my brand of who I am, it may hurt, maybe, retribution to my children. Listen, you have to go back to the Bible and you have to steep yourself in that and think about all those unlikely leaders that God called upon and he equipped them spiritually for that spiritual warfare.
Speaker 1:I want to talk about that just in a moment. But just since we're on this, with fear and the attack, spiritual attack, there are kind of jumping ahead of myself a little bit. But there are those who have said you know, whether it's TLS or other faith-based groups who are being political, and what I'm hearing from you and you are serving as a Texas senator you're not. I don't hear you laying out Democrat versus Republican. What I'm hearing is good versus evil. This is an all-out battle.
Speaker 2:I go to a Bible study during session that we have very early in the morning once a week. It's not just Republicans at that Bible study.
Speaker 1:You mean you're in a Bible study with Democrats? That's right. Wow, that doesn't get out in the public.
Speaker 2:It's Republicans and Democrats Wow. And it can be a larger group sometimes, just like your church service sometimes, or your Bible study. Sometimes it's big, sometimes it's small. It depends on what time of the session If you're laying out a really big bill that morning and you've been up all night preparing for it. It ebbs and flows, but faith is not partisan. It ebbs and flows, but faith is not partisan.
Speaker 2:Now, our party politics gets in the way and sometimes our platforms, and I look at the two different platforms and there's some shared views of oh, I remember Chapter 313 agreements. It was both in the Democrat and Republican platforms that we should get rid of them. I love that because I've been trying to get rid of them for forever. But there is a divide there sometimes, and I will just tell you that I have shared my faith with Democrats, for sure, and they have shared their faith with me. We have prayed together, Something that never gets out and I have to compliment Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick on a tradition that we've started we, on the last weekend of the session, which is usually Memorial Day weekend, that's how it falls.
Speaker 2:It's 140 days. Every other year it begins on the second Tuesday of January. We go through on some weekends. We have to work on Saturday and Sunday, and on the Sunday, before we end on a Monday and session always ends on a Monday we have a church service in the Betty King room and we read scripture and we share, share faith, and we gather in a circle and hold hands and it's Democrats and Republicans crying together, loving Lord, together Wouldn't it be great if people knew that it would be Just kind of uniting through faith.
Speaker 1:It is, which is, you know, that's what we're trying to.
Speaker 2:I want to say something, the same people that I'm holding hands with man.
Speaker 1:we can argue viciously and get after it.
Speaker 2:We can argue viciously about the vision of Texas and our nation, but it's worth arguing over what the next step is in having a constitutional republic.
Speaker 1:I think it's interesting that you know, as you begin to see, what this battle is really about and we understand, as we gain our understanding of God's Word, a deeper understanding of what's really going on here, it can, in a strange way, bring peace to our hearts. With understanding comes peace. And when I don't understand that God's word says that anyone who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted. If someone's saying they're a people of faith and they think that come to Jesus and everything's going to be great, I think that's a false conception.
Speaker 1:I think we have been given a message through the years just come to Jesus, he's going to make your life fabulous. Actually, it's just the opposite. When you identify with Christ and you take the name of Christ and your faith is in Christ, he's really calling you to a life. That means stand against evil, stand with him, and his example was one when he was obedient. He was obedient even to the point of death, death on a cross, and he says that's the example right there for my people, my body. So you should have, after these years I've seen, been given evidence that yeah, you're in this battle and you got a big target, and that's why we're trying to say to our leaders, everyday leaders, we've got to come together, now more than ever. We need each other. We've got to come together now more than ever. We need each other and we've got to stand firm in the faith together.
Speaker 2:Oh, tim Webb, let me tell you anybody that's watching this, go back to what he just talked about, that little clip right there of standing there that life with Christ is not going to be perfect and Jesus Christ was the perfect example. I mean, you know he was perfect and he was crucified on the cross. They crucified Christ. So you have to know that when you take on and you say I'm living in the word of God and I'm going to step out of my comfort zone we talked a little before we started this podcast and certainly when I ran for the Senate, what did I tell Glenn Hager? I'm comfortable, I'm not running for the Senate seat right.
Speaker 2:I'm very comfortable where I am. That is so important. What you just said, play that clip over and over and over again. But we talk about the peace that you have to have and you can only find that through Christ. So you know, there are times when I'm attacked verbally or leaders are attacked verbally. I don't want to make it about me. Every leader can be attacked verbally. It comes in different forms. Leader can be attacked verbally. It comes in different forms. You have to have that peace that, if you know that your decision-making process, that you are doing something that you know you have shown discernment over that, you've studied the issue, you've made this decision whether to vote this way, to file this bill to, if you're working in a committee, to move, if you're serving in your nonprofit you have to have that peace. If you know that you have studied it and shown discernment and asked God for guidance, move forward.
Speaker 1:Right, right. So we know that your faith has driven a lot of what you've done with your life. You're very passionate about your faith, and so is your husband.
Speaker 2:Yes, he's more quiet than me, tim. I mean, it's hilarious, but he's strong, but he seems to be a strong pillar in his faith, so I've enjoyed getting to know him a little better. He is the pole from which I tether here on earth. God has blessed me with such a wonderful husband. Amen.
Speaker 1:I know that you moved forward with your faith. That's your foundation. But you didn't just jump into this and say, hey, I've got what it takes, I'm ready to go, and just left it there. Somehow you were equipped. And we've got people that are thinking about running local office, whether it be city council, school board, maybe even thinking about getting into Texas politics government. How are you equipped? I mean, you've got a great education from TCU, you've got a business mindset, you're a leader. You've been in athletics and I would say to everyone, if you've been in athletics, you get the concept what it takes to win. You have to endure pain to win, Work hard. But what were some of the things that you could share with our viewers about how you were equipped to do what you're doing today?
Speaker 2:It's a hard answer because I think it's so many different things. It's like a mosaic All the little pieces come together for a, you know, beautiful mosaic. You have to be still, and that's really hard for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you mean by that? Be still Because we can say be still and know that he is God. But what does that mean? I mean we say a lot of these things be still.
Speaker 2:When you have this moment that you say I think that I can do that and I think that's where I need to be, and I think I can do it better than what's being done now. Be still and pray about it.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And, like I told you about it, and like I told you, the first time that the Senate seat opened up, I was probably the person that was looked at as the front runner and I fell to my knees. I can tell you where it is it was. I was walking through our bathroom. I fell to my knees right by the bathtub. I don't know why I choose that moment right there on that hard floor.
Speaker 2:But I said God, I need an answer. I mean because this is going to move swiftly. There was no answer, which was His answer? I just knew it inside of me. So when you have that urge to say I can do better, it's there. So you have the seed. You have the seed and then pray about it and things will happen, I promise you.
Speaker 2:So I just yesterday was giving a speech and a lady came up to me after the speech. She had tears in her eyes and she said you might not remember, but we talked back in. I believe it was January no, I'm sorry, it was December, it was last fall. She said I was thinking about running for state representative and the incumbent had not filed yet. Nobody knew what he was going to do. And you gave me some great advice. You said go pray, you will know.
Speaker 2:And I, for some reason and it wasn't me, I'm sure it was the Holy Spirit I said to her think about also the local level. There's so many opportunities for people to get involved. You obviously think that you have something to give. And she told me yesterday. She said I did what you said, I prayed. And she said I know that my calling is here in Montgomery County, and it was really a wonderful moment and I didn't know what I was saying to her. I'm sure she would have made a great state representative, but something inside of me said don't rule that out, but also broaden your vision.
Speaker 2:So what I'm saying is like the woman that met me outside after I was in that debate and she said I know why God sent me. Listen, people are all around you and when you get encouragement from other people, you know that that's the Holy Spirit talking to you. But be still, look around, listen. The other thing that I want to say to people that want to step up and be leaders, especially if you're going to run in a political race where you have to garner votes, sometimes you win, even in your defeat. Okay, you shape the policy, you shape what is being debated. You push other leaders that maybe are already in office, out of their comfort zone to look at things differently. Okay, that's a good point. It really is important.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm telling you, every time I run a race, I love it. I'm bettered by my opponents. I am absolutely bettered. It sharpens me. Iron sharpens iron. That's in the Bible Iron sharpens iron. So when you're called, always know this that you're being called for a reason and it's not always in the victory of the votes. The victory may come in a different way. That's a great point. That's really hard For a competitor like me. You know I want to win. I mean, you show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser. I mean there is no good losing in our family, right, I mean last night at the Blinn baseball game.
Speaker 2:I mean it was a tight game. We had to win Three to one. Jake's on the mound. In relief I told the Lord, you've got to slow my heart down here and I've got to have a little faith in the talent you've given Jake. So, down here, and I got to have a little faith in the talent you've given Jake, so he won, we won. That was great. It's all good now. But you know, I've always told people that you really grow more in your failures than you do in your triumphs. You know, when you fail, when you don't win, that moment you go back and you say, wow, did I not prepare well enough? Did I not see something? And you grow from those moments rather than you know crossing the finish line first and going, woohoo, I won, you know. So those are things that it's all part of that mosaic that I talked about.
Speaker 1:Chiseled, you're chiseled. Could it possibly be that these what we might call failures or mistakes falling short? That's the way God refines our faith. He takes these obstacles, he's refining that faith and he's building. But I really like how you framed that, because it's really staying ahead of the narrative. It's not allowing other people to drive the narrative. When you talked about policy, the shaping of policy, and we're in this election, we're in this race and we're putting things forward and we're able to drive the conversation a certain direction where people normally might not go, conversation a certain direction where people normally might not go. And now we're bringing awareness and shining a light on this issue or whatever it is we're discussing.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you something Silence Silence is. It can be the death of your city. It can be the death of your country when you don't speak up. Look at how loud the noise is right now from people that are not godly people, and if we're silent, they're going to get louder and louder, and louder and louder, and they're going to be the 10% that the 80% follow. I can't say this loudly enough Don't sit there in silence when you see something bad going on.
Speaker 2:We can no longer tolerate human trafficking, pedophilia, these kinds of things. We cannot tolerate it. We cannot tolerate that our children are taught that evil is okay. It is not. So do not be silent, because you know that God is calling you Now. We know this is a fallen world and that Christ is coming back and he's going to take his followers and it is going to be a glorious day. I have to tell you that one of my good friends that sits on the Senate floor just to my right and he's a wonderful Christian and we share our faith all the time. All of us have a Bible in our desk on the Senate floor and it is desk and it has your number and it's in your left drawer.
Speaker 2:A lot of people don't know that that's right. But, senator Perry, you know I'm always out there fighting and I'm a little fighter man and I'm just furious. He's real relaxed and he always leans back in his chair. He's rocking, he goes. Well, you know this is a fallen world. You know it's going to fall, to sin, and I go, perry, it's my job to make sure it doesn't fall today. I'm going to keep fighting and we always have this argument you know I get so mad about that.
Speaker 2:You know he goes, man you worked up. Today it's a fallen world, but that is true. You know he goes, man you worked up. Today it's a fallen world, but that is true, you know. One of the things I was thinking as I was coming here today was that statement, and he and I always laugh. I always say get behind me, satan. You know, we know what the end looks like. Right, we do, but it is our job. We were sent here. We were born. We were given life here on earth. Do something with it. Don't be silent when you see evil speak up against it.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, that brings me to something because, tls, I'm very passionate being a pastor. I'm very passionate about obviously sharing my faith. You've known me for a while. I'm not bashful about that, but one of the things I've desired to see happen are pastors from different denominations coming together to stand for their faith. And it sounds really strange even saying that, pastors coming together to stand for their faith. You're in government and most people are telling pastors or pastors are afraid at times. It seems like to join in the discussion. I mean, you're in government. Then they separate and say but you're a pastor of a church. People would say stay out of the conversation. How would you encourage pastors? I mean, you know the world that I'm living in. We've shared in that. How would you be able to, how could you encourage our pastors today, based on what you've experienced and what you know from God's word and engaging, because you just said silence. Now I could go back to our great Lutheran brother, luther himself, who stood strong and we got Bonhoeffer If he would have been silent.
Speaker 1:And we got Bonhoeffer, you know, and he stood against Hitler and, by the way, many people don't realize, hitler was elected into office 100%, and so Bonhoeffer was like pastors, where are you? And I feel like it feels like we're in a very similar moment in time, like we're repeating this how could you encourage our pastors today?
Speaker 2:Let me tell you that in the Capitol there's a pastors council that actually operates outside of the Capitol pastor's council that actually operates outside of the Capitol. But there are different pastoral groups that come to the Capitol regularly. I cannot tell you how many times in my office we have prayed. I cannot tell you how many times they've seen me in the hallway and they stop me and they pray over me and they pray for wisdom. They are spreading God's word in those capitals and in those halls and I'm always so grateful. Sometimes they're from the valley, they're from all different faiths and it's a beautiful thing, it is absolutely beautiful. And they come in different groups, different ethnic groups, from all walks of life. It's one of the most favorite moments I enjoy in that capital. And so they're not being silent, and it's not just in the capital, but you need to be able to do that in your own communities, large or small, I think. Houston's the fourth largest city in America.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:From that size all the way down to the smallest of the cities that are incorporated or communities. Don't be silent. Leaders are looking for spiritual guidance, sharing faith. I know that you've called me on different times and said hey, I'm praying for you. You just were on my mind today. Share a scripture with your leaders. Call your mayor today and say mayor, I'm praying for you today. There's some tough decisions that you have to make. Call your school board and say it's really tough in this secular world. You have the responsibility of educating the future of our city, our state and our country. I want to pray over you today. And at first some of those leaders will be a little uncomfortable.
Speaker 1:They will that's okay, though, right.
Speaker 2:That's okay. Get out of that comfort zone when you're comfortable. I say, when you're coasting, you're going downhill. That's what I want to say to pastors. You were equipped by God. You've studied the Word. You know the Word better than us.
Speaker 2:Lay people out here that are out serving. Reach out to them in the smallest way, write them a note, write them a scripture, send them an email. I receive those. I'm thrilled with them. I can tell you where I was when you called me one day. I was having a terrible, awful, no good day and you said hey, just here to tell you that your brothers and sisters in Christ are standing with you. I can show you where I was on the highway. Those are those moments that you always remember. So to all the pastors out there, don't be silent. Do not be silent. Speak up and reach out to your leaders, large and small. Leaders, large and small, when you say the top level in the United States of America, and Congress all the way down to, again, city council, school board, planning and zoning committees, different people that you know are involved in nonprofits, that are doing wonderful work but sometimes are attacked for the wonderful work that they're doing.
Speaker 1:Equip them with the word and encouragement Great, great Well, I saved this for the last or tail end of our discussion. We can continue on. Your calendars are limitations today, but what are some of the obstacles that you see, the obstacles that you see Texans face today, some of the greatest obstacles or concerns that are in the forefront of your mind that we need to work through.
Speaker 2:When you look at what we do in the state, you know you can look at it from the business, you can look at it from the economy, then you can look at it from the social issues, you can look at it from the education issues. Our economy is very good here in Texas, but it won't always be. We've seen inflation. It's really hurting families. Salaries haven't kept up with the inflation that we're seeing, so I do believe that people are hurting out there for providing for their families. I think that's always going to be a challenge. We gave tax cuts through property taxes. One of the tenets of our freedoms in our nation is the ability to own property, to have a home, to own your home, and so one of the challenges that I think is to keep affordable housing. When I say that, not renters, I'm not talking about renting. Affordable housing. It's giving people the opportunity to own their home, to make a home for their family.
Speaker 2:There's a movement afoot in the world that says, whether it's World Economic Forum or others, that are these unelected class people that say you're going to own nothing but you'll be happy. I think we have to reject those notions, because that's not what America is, I think on the social front there's certainly that's where you see so much of the warfare going on, the lawfare going on. On the social front, the challenges with an open border. I mentioned sex trafficking, our young children being abused, the children coming across the border, the children within our confines that were born and raised here. The breakdown of the family unit, that children are not being raised by their parents. They're being. Who is raising them?
Speaker 1:Shuffled around.
Speaker 2:Shuffled around. So I want to say that I think it's really a challenge. You can't fix it in government to make a parent be a parent, but spiritually we can, and that is something that the churches have to stand in that gap, the family unit it's written about in this Bible. It's written about the family unit, about the family unit. If you really focus on creating family and raising your children, so much of these social issues will be solved. So the challenges in Texas right now polling-wise, the border is number one and we don't know who's coming across. Some are seeking asylum and seeking a better life. I do believe that there are very nefarious people coming across to do harm to our country from within and infiltrate from within.
Speaker 2:We have to have a society that abides by rules. My gosh, we were given the Ten Commandments. It's a pretty good place to start. It's a great place. Lawlessness leads to desperation and there is right and wrong, there is good and evil, there is darkness and light, and we have to ferret out the darkness, the evil, and keep evil people from doing harm to good people. So there's been such a movement of this social justice to the point where we have people being harmed at great levels Some people are just evil people being harmed at great levels. Some people are just evil.
Speaker 2:I've been working on some bills that are going to help in hiring. In these very sensitive settings where we have CPS and we have residential treatment centers. We have seen where people who want to traffic children get hired into those settings so they can continue to traffic the same girls that have already been trafficked and are trying to receive help to change their lives, and so one of the things I was asked by a reporter was well, do you think that your database is going to be perfect? I go absolutely not, because evil will find a crack to slither through. We're always just trying to make sure that we can seal it off, and so you're going to try to stay a step ahead of it. I know our challenges are ferreting out evil and having a society that you can operate in, that there's not lawlessness and doing harm to others. So our challenges are great.
Speaker 2:Texas is in a better position than many of the other states. Just recently we saw at the University of Texas that they said we have a certain rule here, the First Amendment you can do all the protesting you want, but you are not going to disrupt finals, you're not going to disrupt graduation, you're not going to camp on the Southern Law. That's against the rules. And we used the Department of Public Safety and we used great law enforcement to say these are the rules, you're going to abide by them. You may protest all you want outside of this area, but you're going to do it in a peaceful way. The First Amendment does not give you the right to harm other people's lives or to physically attack people. So these challenges are playing out.
Speaker 2:I am grateful that I live in a state that still stands for law and order, and that can be hard, because someone who has committed a crime can turn to the Lord and be saved. And there's wonderful ministries that go into our prisons. And there's wonderful ministries that when someone gets in trouble and this is what I want to say to the pastors when you see someone, you see those young people going in a different direction, hanging with the wrong group, moving in a direction, and you've known that child for it. Speak up, bring that child back to the fold, bring them back. Be that good shepherd and bring them back. So our challenges are great.
Speaker 1:So with that I think you've kind of alluded to that with the pastors, how can that everyday leader at the local level help you and others who represent the state? How can we be a part of the solution?
Speaker 2:I'll speak from a personal standpoint to begin with. We receive lots of emails and phone calls. Some of them are about can you fix this? I couldn't get my driver's license. About can you fix this? I couldn't get my driver's license. I'm not getting my child payments from my ex-husband, how can you help me? And we have a great staff that works on that. We work at solving people's everyday problems.
Speaker 2:But the other issue when you call or you write is when you point out things. I've seen this happen. This is wrong in the law. This is something that needs to be changed. This is what's going on in our community. Can you help us? I represent a million people. I can't know everything that's going on in, I think, 700 incorporated cities that I represent. So, reaching out to your lawmakers, reaching out to your congressmen, reaching out to your state representative, reaching out to your state senator, reaching out to your mayor, reaching out to your city council person that represents you, going to the school board and saying I'm concerned about this. This is being taught in this classroom. I don't believe this is right or I'm concerned about that. We have other issues that we're not addressing. My child is not learning and doing it in a way that is peaceful and polite but also firm, and the best ideas for me that I file as bills come from my constituents. I can name dozens and dozens of bills that I've passed into law that came as ideas from our constituents.
Speaker 1:That's great.
Speaker 2:I'll call the staff and say I just finished speaking in Magnolia today and a lady came up and said that this, this and this might be water law or something like that. And I say, can you research that? Put that in our idea book for the 89th legislature. So we keep an idea book and we then research these issues and we say, wow, that's right, that is wrong. Something happened the other day about a particular, like I said, water law issue and it's wrong. We have to fix it. But that's because it's evolved over time. Laws cannot be static, especially when you have a growing state like this. So something that was passed in 1992, 1993 rather was very good for 1993, but it needs to be updated. So that's why we go to session 140 days every other year to make those little bit of changes. But I will tell you what doesn't need to change are those Ten Commandments. That's right.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:Live by those. Yeah, live by those.
Speaker 1:And with that going back to right thinking, I would love to close with this I think we are definitely in agreement on the same page that it's not about what is right in our own eyes, it's what is right in God's eyes.
Speaker 2:Which can I say this? Sure, Anybody that says what can I do? Pray, pray for your leaders, pray for future leaders, pray for guidance, pray for the revival that I believe we're seeing. Are you following on social media Some of our universities?
Speaker 2:Occasionally it'll break out where they baptize young people and it's going on out. There there is a spiritual awakening and I sometimes think again out of your failures you grow the most and people are waking up and going something's not right here and that's please, pray, pray for the revival, pray for it. And when people say, well, I don't really want to run for office in the Texas Leadership Summit, it is equipping you to say maybe you are called to run for office, but maybe you're called to volunteer. Maybe you're called to volunteer at CASA, maybe you're called to volunteer at this nonprofit over here to touch that one child's life, one child, save one starfish at a time. And so that's what I want to tell everybody you have to be equipped. That's what I do love about the Texas Leadership Summit in equipping people and listening to leaders and they stand up. I saw Dr Ben Carson who spoke at the first TLS conference. He spoke in Fort Bend County last Friday night. He's such a godly man so intelligent, neurosurgeon so intelligent.
Speaker 1:He's like a grandfather. He sounds like a grandfather, though, so calm.
Speaker 2:Peaceful, the absolute opposite of me. So God calls different leaders with different talents, and just some of the things that he said, some of the statements that he made, were affirmation to thoughts that I was having, and that's why it's important to get leaders godly leaders, in front of people, so that it affirms I didn't think that was right either. Thank you for saying that. He's right. We need to be doing this and this and not being silent. Stand in that gap, stand in that gap. And standing in that gap, tim, doesn't mean that you have to be at the Supreme Court of the United States right now arguing a case. Standing in that gap may be the prayer for that person. Presenting at the Supreme Court of the United States, standing in that gap may be ah, today I'm going to go volunteer. I'm not comfortable doing that, but I'm going to do that.
Speaker 2:Oh, I saw at church that they were doing this. Maybe I should. I don't really want to do that. That's not like me. Maybe I should raise my hand and say, okay, I can help put food together for the hungry, right, I can volunteer and load that trailer. So just raise that hand. You don't have to be like me. Like, oh, oh, oh.
Speaker 1:I got the answer, teacher, you can be like this.
Speaker 2:That's right, I'll be there. You can be a Dr Ben Carson Quiet, silent, speaks softly, carries a big stick.
Speaker 1:The key is step forward, stand in your faith, and that's what we're asking people to do. Stand in their faith, and our hope is that, in this mission and vision of TLS, that, as people stand in their faith in each one of the pillars, whether it be government, business, education or the church, if we'll stand in our faith, our hope is that it will ignite a revival of Christian leadership.
Speaker 2:So, senator, thank you it is going to. I know that our faith is built on hope. I'm going to claim our victory right now.
Speaker 1:Well, we operate from victory.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm telling you that it is making a difference in people's lives and it is our time for such a time as this, for those if you think something's not right, that's that kernel of the Holy Spirit talking to you Engage, engage, engage and engage, and it will be amazing to you, to those that are listening today, I will tell you, as a humble, lowly servant, god will guide you to step out of that comfort zone and to grow, and it will bring you more joy than you have ever had in your life to know that you have made a difference and you have served your Lord.
Speaker 1:Amen. Well, thank you. Thank you for sharing your time. I know it's very valuable. You have a lot of people pulling on you and I know you've got some things that you're having to walk through right now with staff and others and family, and so I want to thank you for taking the time to our viewers and listeners. I want to thank you for joining with our podcast and I hope that you've been encouraged. Today. We've covered a lot, but it's something that we need God's people to step forward in their faith. Engage your community, everyday leaders being equipped, empowered, to step forward in your faith. Thank you for joining with us and look forward to the next time. Thank you, God bless.