I was an intern at Teen Mania in 1995-1996; a pivotal year in my life. I came in thinking that I was going to get more direction for the next step of schooling in my life, but I came out with much more. It was there that my perfectionistic, fearful and feeling-driven mindset was constantly challenged. I wasn't even aware of how much I had let my sense of identity and worth come from my performance or lack therof, nor how much I had let my feelings or lack of feelings direct my relationship with the Lord. That cage was rattled during the year; I began to break free. It was in Teen Mania's focused & purposeful environment and because of the friends, leaders, and teachers in my life at that time, that I came to a greater understanding of the character & love of the Lord, how to worship Him in spirit and truth, and how to face fears and challenges and persevere to a victorious end. It was during that year that I formed the habits that would continue to draw me closer to the Lord and more and more freedom in my life.

And here's something else significant--I went in thinking that ministry is being one of the people 'in front' and that real ministry was missions or preaching or teaching, not being an artist or a mother (which I am today). But it was during the course of that year that I realized how God delights in the unique gifts and callings he places in each of us, whether for business, art, ministry, missions or motherhood. We are all one body, made of many members, and I learned to value each part, each job, each personality as valuable and significant to God's glory and kingdom.

Above all, I came out with a firm understanding of my purpose as God's child--I wrote this in my Bible that year and keep these words before me to this day: My purpose in life is to worship the Lord my God all the days of life; to consider all things as loss compared to knowing him; to give glory to his name in everything I do; to live life in fearless trust and faith in his word; to remain humble, not comparing myself to others, but entrusting myself to Him, confident in His unfailing love; to follow him wherever, and whenever, and no matter what; to love him with joy.

Every day at work I have the opportunity to interpret for non-English patients, pray with them and on several occasions share the gospel openly. My involvement with the local church has become a priority since I graduated from the Honor Academy. The vision to impact restricted nations for Christ was birthed at the internship and is finally coming together through a mission’s board.

To think that I almost went straight to college instead of attending the Honor Academy blows me away. I knew I was called, but I had my own plans; I was afraid of making the wrong decision regarding my future. Was it worth it? Every aspect of it! Sure, the life-long friendships and spiritual disciplines I develop are still influencing my life today. Of course, there were also practical principles I learned that enable me to stay not only debt free, but financially stable to be able to spend 3-5 months each year solely on the mission field. Most of all, I don’t just live to “pay the bills each month,” I live my life with the purpose of serving God wherever I am. The Honor Academy is what God chose to get me here. I am sure there are other places like the HA, but I’ve just never seen them.

The two years I spent at the Honor Academy were a very integral part of my growth as a young man and follower of Jesus. I reflect on my time at the Honor Academy often and am consistently overwhelmed with positive emotions and fond memories made during this particular season of my life. I am confident that the character built and the discipline forged during those two years is foundational to who I am today and who I will become, not only professionally, but as a husband and father.

I built many friendships with peers and leadership that challenged me and enriched my life greatly. The many lessons I learned through various classes, retreats, events, and living everyday life on campus stick with me to this day. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I had to serve the leadership of Teen Mania and the role I played in seeing the ministry’s vision play out before my eyes.

After graduating from the Honor Academy, I attended Oral Roberts University and obtained a degree in Pastoral Care Ministries and a minor in Missions. While at ORU, I served in the missions department as a Regional Coordinator and was able to utilize a lot of what I gleaned from my time at the Honor Academy. Relatively soon after graduating ORU, I married my best friend and served for three years as a Children’s Pastor in Tulsa, OK. Currently, my wife and I live north of Kansas City where we raise our son and I continue to serve as a Children’s Pastor.

It’s difficult to adequately describe my time spent at the Honor Academy, but I am honored to try... I am certain that a very important part of who I am can be attributed to the two life changing years I spent as an intern.

To say that my intern year at the Honor Academy didn’t affect my life as it is today would be a huge understatement; the leadership and discipline skills that I have learned in one year have helped me excel in everything I have been doing in my life. Even though one year at the HA was hard, it helped me realize that with God you can go as far as you want. It has helped me strive to be the best in my talents, and to always give Him the glory even when it hurts the most.
Although I have been out of the HA for less than a year, I have used almost every key idea from classes at the HA; From taking the responsibilities of being the man of the house, to disputing ideas rationally about Apologetics, to understanding what it is to be a leader. This has helped me tremendously in the very hard industry of Entertainment, and it is because of the many strong core values taught at the HA that now I am a successful actor/musician taking off with God at my side. The phrase “pain is weakness leaving the body” is something I must remind myself daily because with God, the pain subsides and it becomes growing pains that lead to more knowledge for the future.

I continually resort back to what I have learned from the HA and remind myself what is expected of me as an Elite Warrior of God. I am in the line of fire, but God will protect me from the enemy. I continue to strive to be that man of God, ferociously and courageously fighting for His glory and seeking His every word and step for the next thing I need to accomplish. With that I have been given many opportunities to affect the lives of many celebrities and of my own family.
Since the internship I am going to college, double majoring in Cinematography and Music, with a minor in Latin American Studies. I strive to become a Film Director inspiring and reaching out to a nation through Film and Music. I have been able to audition and tour with bands and cast in many projects that will be filmed in the near future. The most important thing is that I rely on God every step of the way because there is no way I would be here without Him.

To say that my time as an intern in the Honor Academy was a catalyst for success in my life would be an understatement. The leadership training and discipline that I acquired through my time at the Honor Academy was second to none--including the years I spent as an enlisted IT professional and later a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. Although my time at the Honor Academy was often challenging and required my 100% effort, the juice was well worth the squeeze! It truly built a bedrock of character in my life that has remained for over 15 years. 

I have been able to apply the professional and spiritual disciplines I learned during my year as an intern, and I consider it as integral to my success throughout my career. Without question, any accolade I have acquired has in part been traceable back to the year I invested at the Honor Academy.

To this day, I continue to dig back into the set of leadership resources gained during my year at the Honor Acacdemy. In my current position as Chief Technology Officer for one of the nation's largest and most successful higher ed institutions, there isn't one lesson learned from my internship that hasn't stood the test of time and is still applicable today.

Since my internship, I have completed a Bachelor's Degree in Business Communications and am currently finishing my MBA from Southern Nazarene University. Most importantly, throughout trials, challenges, and life's curve balls, I remain a fully devoted friend of Jesus which is without question the greatest accolade I could hope for at any stage of my life.