I want to especially thank the exemplary leadership at your school who without complaint have endured these difficult economic times and budget cuts, and more recently for the stand taken by one leader who has chosen to take a stand to defend the rights of our citizens and community to exercise and declare our beliefs and faith in prayer. Last year my daughter Rebekah, a salutatorian gave her speech about service using Christ Jesus as the example. I was very proud of her yet I still cringed thinking some left group would complain or file suit. Nothing happened fortunately, but as I was preparing my speech for this year’s commencement ceremony I began to witness all hell break loose against that day. I called Liberty Institute right away and got them involved to help; I did not call the attorney general, He just jumped right in and we kept in contact with his office through that week in preparation for that evening. Thank God all went well that evening and no one was thrown in jail.
I know all this is also the testimony of the MVISD school board and our local community leadership. Graduates, consider this; you are the heritage of this leadership, qualify yourself a product of this most elite group of leaders, of not only here in South Texas, all of Texas, and yes even the United States of America.
A testament of great leadership is that it is transparent, accountable and a fiscal responsible government, effective in its return on every resource, be it human, monetary, physical or spiritual. I am confident that it was in this much diligent determination, prayer and faithfulness of those who believe in you, who trust you, encouraged you and disciplined you, those of integrity and character that lead you and guided your path to this very destiny. Every good and perfect plan is here for you for the taking. These folks, families, and this community have provided it for you.
Today is not only the Omega; it is the Alpha, the beginning, a genesis of possibilities, nothing impossible if you only believe, seize this day. Each of you graduating today carry forth a spirit of hope for a prosperous and blessed future, to continue that good thing which was planted in you from the beginning, the heritage of those who stand with you and by you today, not to forget the generations who forged before you, as well those who will follow you after your course is completed. There is after all nothing new under the sun, there is however a new life, a vision within you to begin, to dream, to create, to explore, to move forth, to improve, to excel, to serve, to sacrifice, to celebrate, and to continue to grow and create in this life abundantly. Your current situation or your past cannot exclude you, nor does it qualify you for this new exciting adventure, this trail you will blaze, that you now begin to step out into.
This new life of exciting possibilities is not temporal, but it is eternal and forever. This attitude, these precepts, This Word of Truth, these beliefs, this fiery Spirit will carry you, counsel you, guide you, and deliver you to overcome every challenge, every difficulty, every trial, every fiery furnace, every doubt, every discouragement, all bitterness and anger, all sickness and despair, yes and even death, nothing can defeat you if you only continue forward to the prize of an excellent life, that is yours in this upward calling to live and love what is truth, what is right and what is just. Faith, hope and love will carry you forward to every right decision in all of life’s circumstance. Love and service will grow peace in your life, and in your family, if you only believe and center your goals and your vision to the excellent way, to always do what is right. You will never be disappointed with your life and you will grow and bear a fruitful abundance that you never imagined possible.
I stand before you today for many of you as your State Representative. I am still living the adventure; I see Gods vision for my life; I see His very government established here in you His people. When I decided to run for office many people questioned why? Many obstacles confronted me; I was an unknown, a Hispanic Republican running in a Democrat majority District against a three time incumbent. I had little prior political experience and very few dollars in my campaign fund. A Father of 5 with 2 grandchildren and a demanding job left little time to run, my oldest daughter was in a near fatal accident here on Highway 90 and my wife’s only sister had a lung transplant, Wow what a year and we still won the election, I was the darkest of all horses in the state of Texas. However, what others saw as weaknesses were in fact what strengthen me from within, to use the impossible to achieve all things possible for those who have the power to believe, to believe that we can go beyond even physical limits of time and space to reach those dreams. I believe each of you are predestined and predetermined to success and to prosper. It is only your decision to accept and believe what your true purpose here in this life is and to go after it, never giving up, to give life your total energy, your heart, soul, mind and body.
Give it your all and your future will roll out before you like you will have never dreamed.
Today of all days is a day to give thanks for each of you graduates here and of all the great things you will achieve as individuals and also as a class, a family, a community. There will be no community if some of you do not remain, or return to build and serve and continue what is here today.
It is almost humorous that we were almost mandated today not to pray by our own court, the Judge of all Judges Commands us to pray. Today of all days is a day to pray, to pray for rain for our farmers and ranchers and to restore our water table, to pray for our U.S. and local economy to be restored, our debts to be paid, for our business owners and for our unemployed and for our own pocketbooks. Today we need to pray for those devastated by wildfires, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis here and throughout our globe, to pray for our soldiers and armed servicemen who sacrifice their lives daily to protect our nation, to pray for our local police and sheriffs who more today than ever are exposed to brutal violence. We pray for you graduates, that your future be as bright and promising as the one I share with you today, to join me in this great adventure of faith in God, that if we all work together for the good like we did this week, that good things happen, great and impossible things will manifest because we continue to grab hold and have faith in these core truths.
Among the many blessings you have this day is that fact that you are Americans. In America, unlike most places in the world, a young person can dream of limitless opportunity. Our greatest leaders have come from places like San Antonio and surrounding areas of Bexar County. Any of you graduates can be the next Bill Gates, the next President, or the next State Representative, the next superstar. America still is the land of opportunity. America is your birthright – embraces it and believe unto Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and nothing will be impossible for you.
