Bobby Roza: We would like to take a moment to thank our sponsor, preborn. When a mother meets her baby on ultrasound and hears their heartbeat, it's a divine connection and the majority of the time she will choose life. But they can't do it without our help. Preborn needs us, the pro life community, to come alongside them. One ultrasound is just $28. To donate, dial pound250 and say the keyword baby or visit preborn.com afr. We inform religious freedom is about people of faith being able to live out their faith, live out their convictions no matter where they are.

 : We equip sacred honor is the courage to speak truth, to live out your free speech. We also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character hope.

 : This is at the The Core on American Family Radio.

Rick Green: Welcome to at the The Core with Walker, Waba and Rick Greene. I Rick Greene, America's Constitution Coach thanks for joining me. Today we're picking up where we left off last week because we just ran out of time. We were having such a great conversation with Zach and Bella and Hannah, all graduates of the Patriot Institute, which by the way, the website's patriotacademy.com institute patriotacademy.com institute that is our one year program at Patriot Academy. So our leadership Congress is what we're known for. We do that in state capitals across the country. That's three days or seven days at the National Academy. But the institute, you get a whole year, an academic year, nine months at the Patriot Academy campus in Constitution City, Texas. It starts October 2nd. So there is still time to apply. Not much, just a few days. But if you have a young person in your life or if you're listening right now and you're between the ages of 17 and 25, you can even be a high school senior. We call it a super senior year. Finish out your senior year of high school while m getting some college credit doing the institute with us, master's level training in apologetics and communication in life purpose, um, firearms training, which Bella talked about last week. We might even get into a little bit more today. But I had, I was closing out the program last week. We were talking about really the most important thing, I think that happens here, which is your relationship with God, figuring out what God's calling you to, what that perfect will is. I've always said, you know, we can easily end up in God's permissive will, where we're doing something that's good, but it just doesn't feel like that's where I'm supposed to be. And I always use the story of Rick Liddell, where he talked about, you know, he was an Olympian, and he said, God made me fast. When I run, I feel his pleasure. When I run, I feel no one's pleasure. Not God's, not mine, no one's. So running is definitely not my purpose. Or I know I'm not in God's perfect will when I'm running, which is why I don't run. That's my excuse for not exercising. Um, or at least not using that as my form of exercise. Okay. But finding that perfect will, finding that purpose, where when you're doing it, man, you feel God's pleasure. I know I've seen that in some of the things that, ah, y' all have done here. Not saying this is where you'll be for the rest of your life. Of course, I know you're still finding what that thing is you want to do for your. For the rest of your life, but maybe you will be. But. But I know that sometimes you get to do things around here where you get to feel God's pleasure. Um, but most importantly, during the time you were a student, as an institute student, how did you start to find some purpose and start feeling like you were starting to line up with, God made me for this? Or I'm. At least I'm in a place where I'm. I'm moving forward in that journey of finding God's purpose. Does that make sense? That was a lot.

 : I know.

Rick Green: I threw a lot into that question. Does that make any sense? Any y' all want to jump in on that? Yes.

 : No.

Rick Green: Maybe.

Zach: Yeah.

Rick Green: Zach, go for it. All right.

 : All right.

Rick Green: Funny that you said chivalry last week, and. And Zach didn't let the ladies go first. I'm kidding, man.

 : I know.

Bella: I know.

Rick Green: The pressure was on for somebody to step up, so you stepped up. Go,

Zach: I would say, just for finding purpose, building the faith aspect of it. One of the coolest things, which I had never found anywhere else, was

 : the

Zach: true brotherhood side of it. That's here. Um, I, uh, have older brothers who are absolutely just phenomenal people. They are my role models in almost everything along with my dad. But it is different between having that versus having people who are actually walking through the exact things you're walking through at the exact same time. One of probably my favorite experiences that was a turning point in this. The institute, when I took it, was my roommate Tate. Uh, phenomenal guy just pulled me to one side one day and was like, hey, I'm noticing that in this regard, you could just. You could just not be doing that or can be doing better.

Rick Green: Here he was calling you out.

Zach: Yeah. And that was like, one of the. Cause I've never had close friends who would do that for me who saw there was a problem and wasn't just like, yeah, whatever, but actually noticed that.

Rick Green: So what? An old guy like me, like, trying to tell you to do better? Somebody right there, a true peer who

Zach: just like, I know you, and you can. You can be better. And that. And just that, uh, that level of just the caring and taking time to do that and invest in me.

 : Yeah.

Zach: Is phenomenal. That's me. The community aspect really just. It was amazing. I've never experienced anything like it. But just having people who are always there to just. Just continues to draw you up and keep asking more of you and just to do better. And I'd say pride. I was one of the key things of really helping. Finding purpose and just helping, uh, out with just my faith walk.

Rick Green: Yeah. Love it. Love it. Um, what about even just your worldview? Just. Just being able to have these kind of conversations y' all were talking about last week on the program and dive into those kind of subjects. Um, you know, y' all all grew up in Christian homes, so you already were exposed to a biblical perspective on a lot of those things. But being immersed in it like that and. And kind of broadening your. Your idea of your purpose in life with regard to worldview, and as you were saying last week, you know, lifting up the culture, essentially, and being that. That positive influence, um, into the culture, speak to that a little bit. Just whether it was the topics that you learned or just being able to find your purpose within a bigger picture and knowing that God's using y' all to literally save a nation and turn your culture around.

Zach: Sure.

Rick Green: All right, go for it.

Bella: So, yes, growing up in a. Growing up with a big family that really sought to grow me bigger than what I could be and to teach me and to give me that foundation. Coming here, it was realizing that, okay, even this is what I was taught, and these are good things. I have to figure out what I believe and why I believe them more importantly, and. And realizing that there is, uh, there's a lot out there. There is so much worldview and different opinions, and we dive through all different kinds of cultures and just learn from them. But realizing that in order to stand strong, in order to stand fast, I have to know why. I have to know why I believe this and what Am I going to do with this belief? Like, once I form my opinion, once I form according to wise counsel and according to the. The Lord's Word, what am I gonna do with it? Am I just gonna sit on that the rest of my life? Or m. Am I gonna constantly challenge that within other people and challenge that with myself? To push. Push it to a new level and to realize that that's what true discipleship is? Because once you know why you were created, once you find your true identity and your true purpose for the path the Lord's taking you on in life, finding, uh, those moments of joy and actually listening to his whole and listening to His Word and just praying, really being intent with the Holy Spirit, you. You come along a line of, I was created for more than this, and he has so much in mind for me that even I could ever imagine. And watching that be just spilled out. When you're learning it through different interactions with different people, you're learning it through making something for someone, making it better, and realizing that that's. That's who I am in Christ. And getting to then be his disciple and do what he's called me to do. That really helped. Uh, just all the conversations, the late nights, the intense studies, uh, of people pouring into Lord's Word, those practicalities of becoming who I am, it really shaped me to be like, okay, this is what I'm called to do. And that looks like living everyday life, like, it's not something that has to be so big and so wild. It can just be diligent in what you're given. And that's something that, uh, persistence taught me. And one of the things Mr. Kush said was like, there is joy in differences, but there's also the mundane that

Bella: teaches you a lot.

Bella: And so just being consistent, being, uh, diligent in what you've given on each day and just having that grow you.

Bobby Roza: Yeah.

Rick Green: Tell me if I heard. If I heard correctly, because what I heard in all that was very much that. It. Even though you came here again from a Christian home and you were taught all these great things, and your parents did a phenomenal job. I love your mom and dad, by the way. Um, coming here, even though you came here to be part of a group, you were able to find more of your personal calling. It was like all of those things that happened throughout the year, it. You weren't singled out for this purpose, but it. It allowed you to find your singular purpose. Does that make sense? It's like your individual. I could just hear that in what you were saying you really got in, in. In. You know, you connected with the Lord on a level that gave you clarity.

 : For.

Rick Green: Here's how I walk this out. I've been discipled to do this. Not just my. Me and my siblings together, or me and the group of Institute students together, but somewhere in all the conversations and the classes and everything else, it became personal. Is that. Is that. That's what I heard, anyway.

Bella: Finding an individual, uh, reality to. To what I've been called to, it's definitely, Definitely a process of working through and walking through, but knowing that it's for something bigger. And it was just so cool, because if I. If I don't. If I don't take the time to pour into it, I'm not going to get a lot out of it. And so really being like, this is what the Lord's called me to, and take that next right step and really just being more in one with Him. It's. It's not that I'm getting rid of or that I'm losing anyone else beside me that is warriors with me. It's that I'm gaining something that's more valuable is a personal relationship with Him.

Rick Green: Yeah. Okay, so, same same topic to you guys before we switch topics. And, um, we don't teach Walt Whitman at this school, but I'm thinking, as you're saying, that of Dead Poets Society, and when Robin Williams says, um, the Meaning of Life, that the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse that just, to me, that kind of sums up what you're. It's like you're seeing yourself in the powerful play of God's creation and what he's doing. But you're getting to see that.

 : Wow.

Rick Green: I get to. I get to do a verse. I get to. I get to. Here's my part of being, uh, you know, and like you said, it doesn't have to be this great. You don't have to be president to make a difference. It's even in the daily serving of other people. Uh, it was just beautiful. Okay, either one of y' all want to chime in on that, maybe the. The individual kind of purpose thing, or even just the interaction with the other students and, And. And the bigger picture of what Patriot Academy is doing with the culture.

Bella: I think this was all making me think of a analogy that you guys use all the time with Nehemiah and the building of the wall.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: And every individual person in the story of Nehemiah had to build their wall, and they had a purpose in that. And it was a universal over purpose. They were all here to rebuild the walls. But it wasn't just Nehemiah's passion. If Nehemiah had been the only one who was passionate, if he had said, man, this is my passion and I'm going to force you guys to do this or you're going to jump on my boat. You're going to do this with me. But it was every individual person finding this passion in and of themselves to protect their wives and their children. And they said, this is worth building the wall with one hand and carrying my sword with the other. And I think that wall building mentality is something that we see over and over and over in what Bellow is saying. And what you see in the scholars is just this mentality of, okay, well, I have to be passionate about the building of the wall. And it's this, uh. It's like a.

Rick Green: It's not enough to just be part of the group.

Bella: Yes. It's not enough to say, yeah, well, okay, like Nehemiah is really passionate about this. I'm gonna jump in and help him. So then when the first attack comes and they realize, I'm not just building this wall, I'm also having to hold my sword in the other hand. If it had just been Nehemiah's passion. Sorry, dude, like, you protect your own wall. I'm gonna go hide in my house. Yeah, but it was there, each individual passion and they all had different skills and they came together and they said, well, I'm really good at laying bricks. Well, I'm really good at doing this.

Rick Green: Let's.

Bella: Let's join together and let's build this wall together and let's all be willing to sacrifice for this cause. And we see this, um, you talk all the time about a, uh, brush fire of freedom going across the nation. And I think that there is a. Specifically right now, I think that there's so much happening in our country that, yes, there has been a dryness for years, but now there's not only just a dryness where the generation is ready to just be ignited like that. There's also been gasoline that is getting poured over everything. And they're saying, man, this is gonna. This will get them. This gasoline is going to kill them all. But what they're doing, this. This oil that they're spreading over my generation, this. This gasoline that they're saying, man, that's gonna, like, they're gonna lose all hope instead. It's like, oh, it's actually making you burn brighter. I'm gonna burn Brighter and faster. And this isn't just a, um, a brush fire. This is a, a long term fire. This is like a bonfire where the logs are getting placed on every single day. And everything that's happening in our culture is another log that's placed on the fires of the hearts of my generation. And I think something that I really realized this year is purpose and passion are oftentimes, as Bella was saying, fueled by consistency. One of the most amazing things that Reagan taught us during our year of the institute is he starts it off with a talk on what is character. Yeah, it's one of the first things he does and he says character boils down to three things. It is consistency, it is courage, and it is conviction. If you have a, uh, good godly conviction to then give you the courage to go forth into any situation and battle the unbeatable odds and then you are consistent in the tiny moments of training for those battles, then that is what it means to have good character. And so over like, what Bella was saying is like what is what she built this year was she built a good character because she was getting God convictions.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: That were then giving her the courage to be bold in bold moments and consistent in little moments. And that right there is, is the passion of, I really think of Patriot academies to build men and young women of character who are, who are courageous, convicted and consistent. That's good because if they were only courageous and they said, man, it's really got to be like a, like all of the enemy has to be there and I have to be in this moment of like, okay, well there's hundreds of them and one of me and that's my courageous moment. It's like, okay, well why are there hundreds of them? Well, it's because you weren't consistent in the little moments and picking them off

Rick Green: one by or they're charging every heel because they're just cure courage all the time. Yeah, it's. They're not being wise and they're not.

Bella: Yes.

Rick Green: That don't have the right connection.

Bella: Consistency.

Rick Green: Yeah, it's good. Okay, wait, we got to take a break. So when we come back. And I have a feeling something's burning on Zach right now. He's got something he's going to say when we come back. I could see him just like shifting over there as you were talking. And so anyway, we're going to take a quick break. We'll be back in just a moment. Rick Greene, America's Constitution Coach, you're listening to at the The Core and we're Talking about the Patriot Institute. So one more time, the website patriotacademy.com forward/institute. Patriotacademy.com forward slash institute. You've got time, but only a few days. Tell the young people in your life, 16, I'm sorry, 17 to 25 years old. Tell them to go check it out today. Patriotcademy.com institute. We'll be right back on.

 : This is at the The Core on American Family Radio with your host, Rick Greene.

Rick Green: Welcome back to the corps with Walker Wildmon and Rick Greene. I'm Rick Greene, America's Constitution coach. Thanks for sharing.

 : Stand with me.

Rick Green: We're continuing our discussion of how the next generation is stepping up to stand in the gap. God is raising up a remnant. I am so blessed to get to work with these young people. Part of the reason people always ask me, like, how do you stay so optimistic and, you know, don't you know, the world's falling apart and nothing's working and it's a uni party and we're never changing. People are so depressed all the time. They're like the 10 spies that came back from the promised land and they're, oh, it's too hard. Giants too. I, I can't stand that they just, you know, they can light up a room by leaving and I wish they would. Um, I want to be Joshua and Caleb. And part of the reason I get to be Joshua and Caleb and be talking about, yes, there's giants in the land, but God's given us the land is because of these young people, like these three that have joined me today on at the The Core. I get to work with them all the time. So I see what God's doing. I see the hope that is in them. I see the passion and the purpose. I see the light bulb coming on all the time. And then I get to see them live, living it out and see even them at their young age starting to pass the torch to, to others in their generation. That's one of the coolest things that I get to enjoy. And so with me in studio today, Bella, Hannah and Zach, they've all been through the Patriot Institute, our one year program here at Patriot, uh, Academy. It's a one year academic year. I always have to clarify that. It's nine months on campus at the Patriot Academy campus in Constitution City, Texas. Doing master's level training and apologetics, communication, Constitution, uh, life purpose, all that good stuff. You can find out [email protected] institute. Okay, as. And by the way, just a few days to apply. I know I said it before the break, but you might have just turned on the radio in your car. Only a few days left, and I have scholarships burning a hole in my pocket. People have contributed so that you can come enjoy this program. It's 20,000 a year. Normally, I have $15,000 scholarships. Um, so get online. Apply today. I said before the break, Zach was burning with passion over there to say something. I don't know what it was, but I just noticed the way you were shifting around. It was like you wanted to chime in with something with that. Hannah was saying, I think. Zach does what I don't do. He thinks before he speaks. See, I just speak, and I can tell, like, uh, as soon as you're ready to say it, you go, okay, I want to make sure I'm saying this right, and then boom. Okay, so give us the boom.

Zach: All right.

Rick Green: No pressure.

Zach: I'll do. I'll do my best. Do my best. I think a lot of people, when they hear people talk, uh, about this or go to programs like this, they. They think of politics as, like, this big, scary monster. You don't really know what's going on. Yeah, it involves. It's so massive. There's so many different people. There's so many working parts to it. And I definitely had that view when I first came into a leadership Congress. And one of the biggest things Patriot Academy has given me is a shift of perspective on that and really went with the. The reclaiming of our generation and building something beyond just the, uh, chaotic dumpster fire that so many bone culture want to make what America is. What Patriot Academy has taught me is that it is just none of that. None of that matters. All that matters is just the one life that's right in front of you.

 : Yes.

Zach: And that's where you're making the change. That's where you're making the difference with whether it be a leadership Congress, whether it's the, uh, student who's too nervous to present a bill or whether it's at an institute. Just noticing one of your good buddies is down. It's those small interactions over time which impact lives and change everything drastically. Just listening to it when I need to go find, uh, uh, a Patriot Cabbie student was a, you know, Kenny Shove. Yeah, I need to go track him down because I was talking to a good friend of mine and y', all, Landon Zizos. When. Back originally, when I first came to Leadership Congress in 23, I was pretty down. And we know no one could really tell I was very well put together. Person. But I, uh, was always pretty down. Didn't have a lot of hope you

Rick Green: can put on the show on the outside.

Zach: Exactly. Exactly.

Bobby Roza: Yeah.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Zach: And yet it was just one small interaction with. And a little bit of time with Landon that drastically changed all of that for me.

 : Wow.

Zach: And then I went back and I found. I talked to Landon this year about it, and before coming to. Before coming to the leadership Congress, that changed my life. He had the opportunity he wouldn't have had, Would never have had the opportunity if he hadn't first talked to Kenny Shove. And it was Kenny Shove who just made one offhand comment that made him to continue to come and be at that leadership Congress.

Rick Green: He had the kind of experience you had with him. He had that experience with Kenny.

 : Exactly. Yeah.

Zach: And it's just that it's that domino effect that so little of us see, and that's what's going to make the massive shift in the culture. It's not. You don't have to go fight or slay the big scary monster. It's just the consistent acts of courage, of just having good character over time.

Rick Green: I love that man, because that's. That's the. Somebody taught me that. A long time ago, we were. We were going to help, um, tornado victims in. In, uh, I think it was Oklahoma where we went. And, um, this. These friends of ours have this ministry, cowboys and angels and. And I'm sorry, angels and cowboy boots. And, uh. And they basically put these buckets together of food and. And so you're basically doing rice and beans and stuff that people get. Can prepare when everything's been destroyed and they have to be able to cook. Right. And so we were, we. We took our bus and they took a trailer. We had all these buckets of food, and we're just giving them out to people. And, and. And we go to dinner later that night, and the guy's name was Monty. And I said, monty, I. You know, I understand why we're here to do this, but, you know, we need to do this in the culture and we need to change this in government and we would solve this problem and this kind of stuff wouldn't happen. And I'm doing all this policy stuff. And Monty just goes, rick, stop, stop. Just feed the mouth in front of you. Just meet the need of that person in front of you right now that is wanting you to hand them that bucket and take care of the need that's right here in front of you. M. I get chills even thinking about it, because I get too caught up in the big picture and what's going to happen 20 years from now. And those are important to do at times. But what you just described is where the real difference is made. I mean, the difference that was made in your life because of that conversation with Landon, the difference that was made in his life because Kenny was willing to speak to him. And now you've been able to do that in other people's lives. I mean, in fact, I was telling my grandson this story the other day because. And y' all may think it's cheesy. I don't know. I don't know if I've ever told this in any of my talks, but it's the old story. A lot of our listeners will have heard it probably, but Zig Ziglar used to tell it. And it's the grandfather walking with his grandson on the beach and all these, you know, starfish have washed up and they're gonna die because they're not in the water. And so he's bending over and he's picking one up and he's throwing it in the water. He's bending over and picking up his grandson's like, what are you doing? He's saying, well, if they don't have water, they're gonna die. So I'm throwing them back into the. Into the ocean. And the grandson looks out at all of them on the beach and he goes, grandfather, there's so many of them. How can you possibly make a difference? And the grandfather bends over, picks up another one, throws it into the water, and he says, son made a difference to that one. That's exactly what you guys are doing. One at a time, you're making a difference when you're. That's what we mean when we say passing the torch. I mean, you're literally passing the torch or igniting that brush fire of liberty you were talking about in that one person's heart. I think that's just absolutely beautiful. I don't know where to go from there. That was too good.

Bella: Yeah.

Rick Green: Any ideas what, anything else about the Institute or life? What about Leadership Congress? We're going to be expanding to some new states next summer. Um, if a student can't come to this one year institute that we're talking about that you guys all got to do. Um, which by the way, if you do want to do that patriotacademy.com Institute got those scholarships. I want to give them out in the next few days. So go get your application in 17 to 25 year olds. But let's say years just too Much. Right. They can't. They're not ready for that yet. Or they've got. They're committed to college or whatever it is that they can't come. Our entry level program is Leadership Congress, and that's three days with us in a state capitol across the country. What about that? What about coming to that? What do you all recommend for young people that might be even. Like you were saying, maybe. Maybe you're depressed about whatever's going on in life, you're down, and you, uh. And you. Maybe you're thinking, I don't want to go to something like that. Or. I know for you, a part of it, too was just having to speak in public or. That was hardcore introvert.

Zach: Hardcore introvert, yeah.

Rick Green: So if you got somebody listening right now about that, how do you talk them into coming?

Zach: Just do it. 100%. Just do it. It's the biggest thing that's helped me with that is go ahead and stand up there, fail miserably, because you will at some point. And here's. Here's the best.

Rick Green: Embrace failure.

Zach: Yes, Embrace it. Because every time you do that, the next time, it's a little less hard. It's a little bit. Just a little bit less difficult. And every time you do it, that's. That is a massive win for you. Every time when you overcome just the, uh. Every time you just want to sit back and just not do it and just kind of live in the apathy that you were talking about earlier and not changing something that is hard or difficult for you, just make that change. Go do it. You will not regret it. And Patriot Academy, the reason why it's so amazing is the community and culture here is if you fail, no one will care, because we've all been there, and people are actually. I take that back. They are going to care. They are going to. We are going to encourage you. And if you fail, we're back. All right? Uh, we will help you improve. And honestly, if you failed, no big deal. You are better for it.

Rick Green: I'll never forget, and I can't remember when it was. I'll never forget what happened, but I think it was right before you came to the Institute. We were sitting on the floor in the chamber here at the campus. You came over and sat down, and we were talking, and you told me the story of Bailey and how that impacted you. Bailey's another one of our institute grads, and, uh, in fact, she's up at Dallas, uh, doing the Moms for America event with Jon Voight and having a good time. With some of our other students. But, um, tell that story, because that really impacted me. And it was another one of those kind of passing the torch things, but not necessarily something she said directly to you. You just saw the change in her,

Zach: uh, in 2024, uh, during the leadership congress here at Nationals, Mr. Dunham, the dean of the institute, he was giving of his time and just coming in, like, a half hour early at the hotel we were staying at and was just giving his time to just answer any questions we had. And there was a small group of us who go down there and just sit down there. I never asked any questions. I just sat there and listened to other people ask their question. Just learn that way. Um, and one of the other people was, uh, Bailey and her siblings were there, and I don't think she ever asked any questions until, like, the very last day. And that was the very first year of the institute. I contemplated going, but then other stuff came up. I just chose not to. And then at the next year, at the Colorado Leadership Congress, I haven't seen Bailey at all. Uh, I don't really think I remember her name at all. But then I saw her get up, and she was the governor for that leadership of congress, Gave the whole speech, everything. And I was just. I was blown away because of the difference in confidence level. I didn't really remember her that much, but I remembered how just shy, quiet she was. And then just to see her up there, completely comfortable in talking.

Rick Green: Bold and confident.

Zach: Yes. And speaking with such boldness. And when I saw that, I was like, all right, if she could do. Wasn't as if she can do it. I was like, I. I want that, uh, I want the confidence to go up there, because I know I have good things to say. I know. I know the same Lord that everyone else here knows. And I should be able to speak well for him. And so that was the deciding factor. I was like, all right, if I have the chance, I'm going to do this, because I want to be able to speak confidently for my king.

Rick Green: This is the most rewarding thing of all the things I get to do. I get to do a lot of cool stuff. And I mean, even from the first Patriot Academy in 2003, there was a young man so much like you, Zach. Um, and to watch his growth, he came, I think, three years in a row. And just like with you, watch his growth and his boldness and his courage and the way he went from not being. I mean, when he did first get up, it wasn't good. And to the point of being able to articulate and to be running the show, um, there's nothing more rewarding than that. And we get to see that in all of you. And the best part today is getting to hear you talk about how it wasn't just Krish or me or the older folks up in the front of the room. It was the fellow students that helped inspire that in you. And then now for you to get to do it with others. Oh, I get to live such an amazing life. This is so rewarding. Wow. Where do we go from there, girls? Thoughts? Comments, Questions? Insults? You asked if you have insults. Insult Zach, not me. No, I'm kidding.

Bella: You asked what to tell someone if they're. If they're concerned about coming to Leadership Congress. They're interested in the institute, but they don't have a time to spend eight months. But you want the change that we're talking about.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: You would be surprised how much God could do in three days. You would be surprised how much God could do in three days. I mean, he raised Christ back to life. Three days. Surprise.

Rick Green: But Sunday's on the way.

Bella: Leadership Congress. Last year, I was. Not this year, but last year I was on our travel team, and I got to go to a couple of the Leadership Congresses across the United States, and I got to meet so many young people. And it was an absolutely amazing opportunity because I was getting to see those. Those changes. But it wasn't just, oh, I knew you last year, and now, uh, this year you're. You're a different person. It was. I met you whenever you came in here on Thursday, and now it's Saturday on our last floor session, and you went from being glued to your seat to being glued to the mic.

Rick Green: Glued to the mic. Glued to the seat to glued to the mic. Sorry, I interrupted you. You had such a great line there, Hannah, and I ruined it.

Bella: You went from, what, glued to your seat to glued to the mic. And just the amount of. Amount of confidence has even grown in three days. But it wasn't just confidence grown in three days. Is we. This process, this event, these three to six day events, if you come to nationals, have been built with the intention of being challenging to the point of failure to success. M. So success is built upon a thousand little failures, right?

Rick Green: Yeah, you need the failure if you want the success.

Bella: 100. I mean, you can see that with like Einstein, like 999 filled light bulbs.

Rick Green: No, that was Edison. But yes.

Bella: Yes.

Rick Green: Einstein was the same, though. Yes.

Bella: You see like 100, uh, so many failures before you finally get success.

Rick Green: Because it wasn't 10,000 failures. It was 10,000. He said 10,000 ways. Not to invent the light bulb, but I like saying the word failure. Embrace failure so that you can get to success.

Bella: Oh, yeah. Failure is so necessary.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: And even in the three days of Leadership Congress, you're going to fail, but there's also a massive opportunity for you to fail and fail and fail and then succeed.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: And you get to have that, that success moment of. I just went up there and I didn't use any pad words.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: I just went up there and I went from keeping my hands right here the entire time whenever I did my first presentation. And then we did how to speak. And suddenly my hands are out here and I'm talking with my hands and I'm articulating well to people who are visual. And there's all this stuff teaching you not only just how to present and how to present your bill and how to be well articulated and know these apologetics. The best part of the Leadership Congress and the reason why I came back, even though as a kid, uh, I was not interested in politics, I was not interested in doing anything public speaking. I didn't want to be in front of a crowd. I didn't want to do anything that had anything to do with politics. I was like, sure, that's other people's thing. Um, I just want to be a mom. I'm good. Obviously that's changed a little bit. Still want to be a mom. But I also know that God has called me to other things as well. Was in the leadership Congress. There's all this time spent on these things, but there's also the evenings and we specifically put together iron sharpenings. And so you're getting to sit there. And I'm 17 years old and I'm coming into this week with this certain idea of what my future should look like. And there's these six moms lined up at the front of the room and they're doing an iron sharpening panel with us. And they said, ask us any question we want, but first we're going to tell you our stories. And Gabby Barton. Gabby Barton started telling me her story.

Rick Green: Okay, wait. You got to stay through the break to find out what Gabby Barton said that changed Hannah's life. So we're going to take a quick break. You're listening to at the Court with Walker Wildmon and Rick Greene. I'm Rick Greene, remote America's Constitution coach with three special guests in studio with me, Zach and Hannah and Bella, all three Patriot Institute grads. You can learn more about the institute by going to patriotacademy.com institute. Come spend a whole year with us right here on the campus in Constitution City, Texas. We'll be right back on at the The Core. Hm.

David Brock: America's 250th birthday. It's a great excuse to have some extra cake and ice cream, but we can help your celebration go well beyond. Beyond that. Show your patriotism with America 250 apparel that will become a memento of this special year. We also have special episodes on AFA Stream to help underscore that America is a Christian nation and help you find God in the Constitution. Find all of this and more in one place. Afa.net topics250 this is at the The Core on American Family Radio with your host, Rick Green.

Rick Green: Welcome back at the The Core with Wacca Wabin and Rick Green. I'm Rick Greene, America's Constitution coach. Thanks for staying with us. Three special guests in studio with me now. Bella and Hannah and Zach have all been through our one year Patriot Institute at the Patriot Academy campus in Constitution City, Texas. And we have just a few days left for applicants. You can go to patriotacademy.com institute17 up to 25. If you're a high school senior, you're welcome to come spend your senior year with us right here on the campus. Finish out your senior year of high school and at the same time get some dual credit. So you'll be doing master's level training on apologetics, communication, Constitution, life purpose, all those good things. Patriotacademy.com forward/institute. Maybe you're trying to decide whether or not to go to college. Maybe you've already gone to college, got your degree, and now you're wondering what's next? Or how do I find my purpose? This is a great place to do that. Okay, back into our conversation. Hannah, you left us on a cliffhanger. You were talking about, uh, coming to Luke Leadership Congress and our iron sharpening iron sessions. That's our evening sessions where we break out guys and girls. The girls go into one. Uh, well, now we do it here at the campus on a range, have a around the fire. It's really cool. But back then we were at the Capitol and so you guys went into. You ladies went into one committee room and the guys, we took them all to another committee room. And so you had six ladies. I'm recapping your. The beginning of your story. Um, the, the six ladies up, uh, front said, uh, we got gonna give you questions, but first, we're gonna tell you our story. And, uh, you said Gabby Barton was about to give her story?

Bella: Yes. The. This story was so important to me because, as I had said, I wanted to be a mom. And I had this. This firm idea, and I kept on saying, I just want to be mom. I just want to be a mom. I just want to be a mom. Like, that's all that matters in my life. And so until I'm a mom is

Rick Green: the most important thing, that we're not devaluing that.

Bella: But it was the until.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: And I realized, um, I was actually younger than 16. This was when I wasn't even a student. I was going to volunteer. I. It's what made me want to come back and be a student, because I wasn't going to. I was just going to volunteer for the whole time. And it was an amazing program, but I was like, I'm not a politics person. And Gabby tells her story, and she has this beautiful story of a desire that the Lord put her in a season of preparation for. And so she wanted to be a wife, and she wasn't married yet. And so she went. She read all the books on how to be a wife, and then met Tim, and they got married, and. And then she wanted to be a mother, and they. They. They weren't having a child. And so she said, okay, well, what do I do? Well, I'm gonna go read every single book I can get my hands on that tell me how to be a good mother. And then the Lord, through a miraculous story, gave them their first child. And it started with her desire to prepare. And so here I am, very young, very convinced that since I want to be a mother, and I'd wanted to be a mother since I was old enough to understood what motherhood was. And I remember people would ask, what do you wanna be when you grow up? And I'd be like, I just wanna be my mom. Like, I just wanna be my mom when I grow up.

Rick Green: Your mom is amazing.

Bella: But she's. But my mom would say, hannah, what are you gonna do until you're a mother? Because, I mean, getting married right out of high school might happen, and you might have a kid right after that, but what if it doesn't? What are you gonna do in the in between? Are you just gonna waste away until you finally, like, get married and have kids? And I'm like, well, no, I gotta do something in the in between, but what do I do? And so then Gabby's up there, and she's she's a young woman and I had got to meet her, her just one little girl at that time. And I'd been babysitting her the whole weekend. And I saw, oh, okay. There's more to life than just what I plan.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: I have to be in this position of saying, okay, Lord, I'll prepare for what I'm planning. But Gabby wasn't just preparing for what God was planning her to do. She was reading all the books, doing

Rick Green: stuff while she was, she was going

Bella: and she was serving.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: And she was going and she was working summer camps and she was going and she was putting herself in a place to be used by the Lord as his hands and feet until she had children that were her own and that would become her main ministry.

Rick Green: That's good.

Bella: And so she was in ministry and she was mothering other little kids at summer camps until the Lord gave her her own kid to mother. And so little 14 year old Hannah said, oh, okay. So I can't just sit here and say, I know that the greatest ministry in the world is the ministry that happens in the home between a mother and a father and their children. That is the greatest ministry. Well, I'm not there yet. So what am I doing with my hands and what am I doing with my feet? Like, where am I taking myself and what am I going to be doing? How am I going to be serving in the right now?

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: And so completely separate from the politics, did this make me go to Leadership Congress the next year? Yes, but this was something that was outside of politics, that gave me the boldness to say, okay, I'm going to go and I'm going to pursue, I'm going to pursue a life that has value, a value outside of just inherent value, but a legacy value. And I'm going to go do what I can in the daily mundane things to build up those around me to use my hands. Well, God has gifted me with, with two working legs and working hands and listening ears and a mouth that can speak. And I'm not using those things to their fullest value. And I realized that listening to her story, saying, I wanted to be a mother, but until I am, I will go and I will be God's hands and feet. And then when I am a mother, I will be a mother who is God's hands and feet. And that encouraged me to do the same thing and say, okay, well, I'm gonna go and I'm gonna, I'm just gonna do whatever the Lord places for me and hold my life with with open hands. Not empty hands, but open hands. Because there is much that is in my hands that I'm handing over. And that led me to somehow, six years later, even though I said I will never, ever go to the Patriot Academy Institute, because I grew up there, I know everything about Patriot Academy there is to know about Patriot Academy.

Rick Green: Didn't think there was anything left for you to learn, huh?

Zach: Huh?

Bella: I did not. I was so prideful. And then a friend called me, said, well, have you prayed about it? So, you know, I haven't done that yet. So I prayed about it, and I threw in the application, and the next thing I knew, I was late living here. And it was a year of learning how to, well, be the hands and feet of Christ. And yes, I learned how to have the mind of Christ. And yes, I learned how to renew my mind. And yes, I learned how to articulate well and how to public speak and how to be confident and courageous. But more than anything, my year of the institute taught me the most. Okay, how do I serve right here in the here and now? How do I do it well? And how do I have joy in the fact that, like, this is a content season, that I'm joyful in what I'm doing right now, but I'm also filled with a joyful, anticipatory joy like this. Like, oh, my goodness, yes, one day I'm going to be a mother, but right now, I'm still joyful in what I'm doing, even though it's not that

Rick Green: I get to do these other things.

Bella: I get to do these other things in a joyful preparation for what we're

Rick Green: doing instead of a have to or almost. Y' all both used the word mundane. Uh, last week when we did the program, you. You talked about whatever the mundane things are, whatever it is that day, having joy in that, um, man, that's so important for your generation because that sometimes you have to do. You know, Malcolm Gladwell calls it the 10,000 hour thing. If you want to be really good, if you want to be the best at something, you had to put in a lot of hours to that thing. And getting your generation to say, I'm going to do the work ethic, but you've got a different way of saying it. It's not. It's not just, I'm going to do this. Like, I'm going to. You know, I'm going to get through this wall because I have to to get to this other thing. Y' all both say it in a way, all three of you have said it in a way where you're actually enjoying the process. You're enjoying the hard work. You're enjoying. I mean, I would have never enjoyed the word mundane. Like, I don't want to do. You guys are making it sound fun. Like you're actually enjoying that. That process that's very, very different. I don't know if you want to add to that. Anybody?

Bella: I think.

Rick Green: I didn't really have a question in

Bella: there, but I think that we get so, so focused on things not being mundane that we get this idea that, like, what is mundane has no value. But this is something that just the Lord has been teaching me a lot the last few years is like, life is short. Life is so short, and you only get to do the mundane for a little while. M. Like, you don't. You're not doing the mundane for the rest of eternity. You're doing it for maybe 80 years. Like, how many times are you going to get to say that? I get to. I. I'm washing dishes, listening to worship music, and there's no one else in the house. Something that's not going to be what's happening. You're going to have a kid pulling on you, and that's going to be a joyful moment because you're not going to have a kid who's at your hip pulling on your. On the. On your pants for the rest of your life. You're going to, like, you're going to. Your kids are going to grow up and they're going to move out of the house, and then it's going to be you and your husband in this house by yourselves, and then you won't be able to wash dishes anymore. Like, these moments that you have feel like they're gonna last forever. But as I. As I watch my older siblings, I'm child number six out of seven. I have five older siblings, and I'm watching them go through different seasons in their life because my oldest sibling is 14 years older than me. So there's this huge gap. And I'm getting to see them reach seasons where something that they used to have to do all the time, that was a mundane task they're not doing anymore. And I have cousins and uncles and aunts who are getting to the point where they're no longer doing these mundane tasks, and they're out of this season for that main m. Mundaneness. And it's like, oh, I'm not going to be doing this forever. How can I not be joyful that I'm getting to do it right now.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Bella: Because someday I won't be.

Rick Green: You sound like, I feel like the song for it by Trace Atkinson's be playing in the background. You're going to miss this.

Bella: Exactly.

Rick Green: That's what I'm hearing. You know that you're already realizing that. How old are you now? 22?

Bella: 21. 22 and 30 days.

Rick Green: In 30 days at 21, already recognizing that even the little things, the mundane things, going back to that word, um, you're going to miss even those. Yeah, yeah.

Zach: Can I read A quote by G.K. chesterton, please?

Rick Green: Go for it, Zach. Bringing out the quotes.

Zach: G.K. chesterton, my, my favorite guys ever. He said, because children have abunding vitality, because they're in spirit, fierce and free. Therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, do it again. And the run up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown up people are not strong enough to exalt in monotony. Uh, but perhaps God is strong enough to exalt in monotony. It is possible that God says, every morning do it again to the sun, and every evening do it again to the moon. It may not be automatically necessary, automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike. It may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that he has the eternal appetite of infancy. For we have sinned and grown old, and our father is younger than we.

Rick Green: Making daisies, man. Think of the mundane as making daisies is what I got from that. That's good.

Zach: During the institute, Mr. Dunham gave me an opportunity to lead the class through, uh, one of his essays. Uh, G.K. chesterton. One of his essays. I love G.K. chesterton. And it was on creating, uh, adventures out of everyday life. And it was. The essay was on chasing after one's hat. And actually it was Bella's, uh, sister Millie said one of my favorite quotes that came out by any student that came out her whole year, which was, I will see every inconvenience as a miniature dragon to make my pet.

 : Wow.

Rick Green: Wait, say that again. Repeat that. It was good.

Zach: It was I. I will see every inconvenience as a miniature. As a miniature dragon to make my pet and.

Rick Green: Wait, did y'.

Bobby Roza: All.

Rick Green: Millie said that that was her quote or that was her quoting GK Chester?

Zach: That was after reading his essay and talking about how there is adventure in the, uh, the monotony and just the pain of life.

Rick Green: Adventure in the mundane. I will make every. Wait, sorry, I messed it up. Every inconvenience Inconvenience my miniature dragon to make my pet.

Zach: That is good.

Rick Green: Oh, my goodness. Okay, I'm stealing that. I'm gonna, I will give Millie credit twice. And then after that, it's mine. Uh, that's the old Zig Ziglar thing. First time I'll say, one of my students, Millie says, and the next time I'll say, I have a friend who says. And then I'll say, I'm always said, no, I'm not gonna do that to Millie. I won't do it. Okay, we have three minutes left. Left. So basically about a minute each to close. Um, whether it's Leadership Congress, uh, Patron Institute or Summit Ministries or Leaders Academy or any of these other young, um, leader programs. What would be kind of your 30 second elevator pitch to a young person? Get out there and do it. Get these interactions. Go, go, go. Be adventurous.

Zach: Yeah, yeah, I guess I would, I would tell you guys, have joy. This is, this is your time to be able to dive deep into whatever the Lord's called you to. And if that's, um, if that's your next season of going to film something, if that's your next season of going to join an institute class, there's. There's so many opportunities out there for you and to have joy and whatever the Lord set before you. Because our world has become so, um, exhaust rative with everything that there is to do. And there's not enough just joy in the smallness. And to find joy, it's not hard. You need to be able to step back and just think, okay, what am I grateful for today? I am so grateful for this. And so the next thing that you get to do is just find contentment in this. Because it's not going to be, oh, I'm just waiting for this next season to start and I'm going to be content in that. No, it's finding contentment where the Lord's placed you right now. And it's really being able to say, I am ready to be his disciple. Like, I, I have accepted him and I'm ready to be his disciple, whatever he's called me to. Because it says that it is a joy for those that walk along with him and that we get to go through the trials and go through the pain and. Because that draws us closer to him. So I'd say drawing closer to him looks like the everyday life. And it looks like just being, doing the next thing that is right before you, that is sometimes dull, it's sometimes mundane, but there's joy in it. And it's your opportunity to choose that because it is a choice and sometimes it's a difficult one, but it's one you have to make because he chose that sacrifice for you. So if it's a sacrifice you're making, if it's a joyful attitude, whatever it is, just go out there and do it.

Zach: Do it.

Zach: You got this.

Rick Green: Do it, do it, and do it with joy. Zach, what's your 30 second elevator pitch to young people to go do one of these programs so that they can find some of these things that we've been talking about.

Zach: You really have no excuse to be idle. There's. There's so many people who are just coasting and accept accepting apathy as just the normal way of life that does not have to be you. Go do one of these programs. Go to some ministries, Go to Patriot Academy. Do, uh, one of these things because it will grow you, give you life experience.

 : It's.

Zach: It's only a school year. Of your life.

Rick Green: Yeah.

Zach: It is a hundred percent worth it. Um, there's no reason for you to be like everyone else. Just live life as the adventure it is supposed to live out as.

Rick Green: That's good. 30 seconds. Hannah.

Bella: I'm actually going to read a poem and I'll read it as fast as I can, as clearly as I can. Okay. Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dream have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we have arrived safely because we sailed too close to shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things that we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life. Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity. And in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of new heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly to venture on water seas where storms will show your mastery. Lord, where in losing sight of sand sand land we shall find the stars. Lord, we ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes. To push into the future in strength and courage and hope and in love. Just if you're comfortable and happy where you are, then you're not challenging yourself enough. So go out there and seek the challenge. Go out to deep waters and be willing to let your boat be capsized so that the Lord can flip it back over.

Rick Green: Oh, that's good. Losing sight of the sand, we will find the stars. All right, young people, check it out today. Patriotacademy.com institute. I also mentioned some other programs. Summit Ministries has a few fantastic one year program as well, Turning Point Prep Leaders. Uh, Academy out of Hot Springs. Or come spend a year with US at the PatriotAcademy Institute. These three will tell you do the Institute. Uh, those other programs are great, too, but, yes, I have scholarships to the Institute. So go today. You only have a couple days left to be able to get your application in and get one of those scholarships. Patriotacademy.com institute. Thank y' all so much for joining me. Thank you for listening. You've been listening to at the The Core.

 : The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.