Meetings with Oklahoma Elected Officials

We recently had an exceptional visit to Oklahoma City, to meet with the Governor and Members of the House and Senate, along with others. Having lived in Oklahoma a number of times, this was a special time for me.

We meet with elected officials for one reason: to bring principles of biblical governance to government leaders. It is a profound honor to meet with these governmental leaders.

Absolutely fabulous meeting with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. A high energy conversation. He is a remarkable leader. What a joy to meet with him!

Wonderful meeting with Oklahoma Secretary of Education Daniel Hamlin.

What a joy to be with a group of Oklahoma State Senators and Representatives… especially Representative Nichole Miller. I was her pastor when she was 14 year old Nicole Hutchison, daughter of my good friend Travis Hutchison. It was a fun day for me!

The interior of the Oklahoma State Capital Building is breathtaking. Remodeled and renovated a few years ago, it looks incredible!! Way to go Oklahoma.

I love Oklahoma! I have lived there several times, in Bethany - 4 different times (Okla City area) - as well as in Tulsa and in Bartlesville. The Capital Building never had a dome on it, until recently.

See the video of the building without the dome, and then with it, by clicking on the picture on the right or watching it here.

Thank you to Oklahoma State Capital House of Representatives Chaplain Ronnie Wilson (left) and to Brian Bobek (right) who is the Chief Operating Officer for the Governor of Oklahoma, who both treated us so incredibly well.

I was interviewed by the wonderful team at the Oklahoma Council on Public Affairs on the topic of “the biblical understanding on minimum wage,” which I covered in chapter 17 in my book WELL VERSED. (Oklahoma has a minimum wage bill coming up, in which wages could be tied in Oklahoma to the whole nation, including New York City and San Francisco. That would not be wise.)

This is a special location to me. This is the Sequoia Building right beside (north of) the Oklahoma State Capitol Building, where we had the remarkable privilege of seeing, for the first time, on April 11, 1980, our newly adopted 3 month old son whom we named Joshua James. Breathtaking memories.

And now for a bit of humor.

At 10pm on Sunday night, I realized that I had forgotten my ties, the first time I have done that in my approximately 10,000 trips. I was to speak the next morning to a group of Oklahoma State Senators and Representatives at the Oklahoma Capitol Building. What could I do?
 
I was to meet with Steve Green, co-owner of Hobby Lobby, at 7am for breakfast. “Steve,” I said, embarrassed and with a red face, “I have a huge and strange request. I forgot my tie and I am speaking to Oklahoma Legislators and then meeting privately with the Governor. I need your tie.”
 
He graciously provided me his tie to get through the day! Talk about an embarrassment!
 
I then posted the story, followed by pictures with Oklahoma governmental leaders. I received many comments on Facebook simply stating (as if to rub it in ), “Nice tie.” 
 
For the record, we have now mailed the tie back to the gracious “tie benefactor.”